


And That Is How Witches Do

by AllThemFeelzs



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual SwanQueen, F/F, F/M, Insanity, My very first fanfic, Sexual Abuse, and incest, au-ish, implied rape, post-S3, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-02-21 09:12:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2462759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllThemFeelzs/pseuds/AllThemFeelzs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Witches, vampires and the usual storybrooke-centric apocalyptic curse. AU-ish, kind of. I'm bad at summaries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: OUaT isn't mine, if it was Emma and Regina would be end-game. Song titles, lyrics and artists are not mine. The only thing that's mine is my imagination and the original characters based off of my skyrim characters.

Once Upon a Time, In a Land far, far away...

 

“Hi.”

She needn't open her eyes to know who that warm, raspy from sleep voice belonged to. Keeping her eyes closed, she turns her head towards the source of the soft, distinctly feminine voice, a moment is taken before the butterfly-kisses come, kisses that pause and linger on her upturned lips. She hears the quiet chuckle of her companion and then she’s being nuzzled with a few deep breaths from her companion, as if to memorize her scent. Time flies, seconds, perhaps minutes, she can’t bring herself to be bothered, really, not when they’re together, not when it’s a rare moment of quiet.

“Good nap, love?” Her smile widens as she stretches in the arms of her lover? Perhaps but they've not gone beyond the veil, so to speak. Companion? Perhaps, yes, perhaps this is fitting. She finds that she doesn't care for classifications, she know this feeling and it’s the only thing that matters right at this very moment. She forgoes the need to speak, instead she answers the question with a content purr as she burrows further into her lover’s arms. An attempt to move, to sit up, by her companion, is met with a whine as she clutches the front of her lover’s soft, white shirt, pulling her love closer and nipping at the pulse point.

Another quiet chuckle before she hears “Behave, you.” The words spoken gently, chastising as they may seem, there is no intent behind them. So, she simply clings to her lover’s shirt as she continues the path from her lover’s pulse point to her lover’s jaw. Soft yet calloused hands bury themselves in her long chestnut waves and to her delight, she feels the hands tug gently at her hair, her smile turns into a grin as she abandons her lover's neck in favor of her lover's lips.

The kiss they share is gentle, teasing, she considers it chaste, even. Another moment and she's being pulled away, her disappointed whine draw another quiet chuckle from her lover. "Come now, love, a grassy field is hardly a resting place for the King's sorceress." She snorts - How very unbecoming of a lady, grandmother would say - shifting so she's eye-level with her lover, "Please, being apprentice court mage hardly makes me a sorceress. It simply means that I am responsible for the court's more menial concerns." There's a soft, content purr in her dulcet voice. She pauses as she moves her hands to her lover's face, cupping her lover's soft cheek. Her sculpted brows draw down as her lips pout. "Have you ever been tasked to 'Entertain the children with sparkly, multi-colored light shows' or to 'Take a peek at this rash' or to 'Palpate someone's left testicle'?"

Her lover laughs loudly at this."Honestly? No, not in my profession, no." She sighs disapprovingly at the mention of her love's occupation, "Ah, yes of course, your... Job." Avoidance and humor have always offered a sort of comfort from this specific topic, if she ignored it, it would eventually be forgotten, for a short time, but none the less it would be forgotten and at this point, she would take any reprieve she can get from the worry and fear for her lover's life. Her love sighs quietly, the type of sigh that she would associate with exhaustion, not in the physical sense, no, this exhaustion was of the spirit and mind, she knows she can't fix this, well, not yet, anyway.

Her lover rests her forehead against hers, she can sense the weariness coming off of her lover in waves. None of this is right, she quietly muses, "We're too young to deal with this type of stressor." She says out loud. Her love nods, "But we play the hand that we are dealt, love. We've no choice." She nods quickly then, opting for a more optimistic subject, she asks, "When?" Her lover knows this question, she needn't finish her train of thought. "Three, perhaps five more winters, if all goes well." She sighs but nods none the less. Was she happy? No, far from it but her love was right, you play the hand you're dealt with and sadly, that is that.

She thinks on this as her lover watches her for a moment, her lover takes a deep breath and starts,"Helena, I-" She cuts her lover of with a chaste kiss, "No," They share another kiss, one less chaste but not overly uncouth, Grandmother would frown upon it if that was the case, she was sure of it. "No." She says again, her voice stronger this time if just a little breathless. "In three, perhaps five winters you can tell me and then..." Her voice softens, a hint of sadness and longing creeping into her tone but her eyes held resolve. "Then, when or if I am certain." That you are safe, that you are mine completely, that death will not suddenly take you, is the unspoken end to her statement.

She saw rather than heard the sigh, her lover's strong but slender shoulders sag visibly, "Of course, I apologize. As you said, we're too young for lifelong promises, yes?" Her nod is but a small jerk of her head, she casts her eyes downwards, her fists once again tightly gripping the front of her lover's shirt, it hurt her to know that she was hurting this sweet, gentle young woman holding her. "Please, Quinn, please understand." This time she hears the weary sigh, the sadness creeps in her lover's voice as she says, "I understand, you want more, perhaps more than I can possibly offer in our lifetime. I am no noble, I am no landlord, I am female, I cannot possibly give you any security, I cannot give you a family that tradition dictates. I've only a horse and a profession that, while honest, darkens my soul with each successful mark."

Her brows furrow and then she scowls and gently slaps Quinn's shoulder, "You don't understand at all! If I'd wanted any of those things, I'd have seduced a noble, the Gods know how easy that would be, but no, I chose you, I wa-" The sound of thundering hooves interrupt her mid-sentence and had the lovers scrambling up, Helena only had a precious few seconds to brush the blades of grass clinging onto her long, wavy hair and then the horses and their riders came into view.

The Navy Blue and Gold colors of the kingdom is made obvious as the late afternoon sun illuminate the riders. The lead rider lifts his armet's visor and his voice booming in the quiet knoll. "My apologies Helena but we must seize the assassin." Helena arches a brow, in her mind she was quickly weighing the pros and cons of attacking the royal guards, she's running through the list of spells in her mind, thinking of a proper spell. Stasis spells, she thought quickly, simply to buy time for escape.

Yet, before she could chant the first few words of the spell or even raise a hand Quinn stepped forward, she noted that her lover wasn't even fazed. There was silence as Quinn walked calmly towards the guards, her deep blue eyes scanning the company of men before her. She stops, barely within reach of the lead guard, she looks back to Helena, giving her a reassuring smile which did little to comfort her, really. Quinn faces the guards again, she sighs as she drops her daggers before the lead guard, "Seize her!" His command surprises Helena, her instinct had her scrambling, running towards her lover and possibly attempt to bodily protect her, she struggles as she feels strong arms hold her back, "Helena, please, understand that there's been an... Incident, the guild is involved." She ignores him as she struggles against his hold.

She hears a yell as she sees an armored fist connect with Quinn's face, more yells as Quinn falls, the yells become hoarse as Quinn is being kicked in the midsection while she struggles to stand. She turns and starts pounding on the man's armored chest, it is futile, she knows that she can't hurt him even without the armor. "Michael, Michael please, please make them stop." She begs, she's vaguely aware that her voice is small and hoarse, her throat is raw, she realizes that she'd been the one yelling. "Michael please..." She's also vaguely aware of the tears, her tears. He grunts and nods once, "Enough! Take the assassin to the barracks, she is to stand trial with her guild immediately!" The guards pick her up by her hair, her raven locks made impossibly darker by her own blood seeping into her hair.

Michael holds Helena against him gently, "Hush now, lassie." She shakes in his arms, crying still. "Take me with you, I want to be there, I need to know what this is about, Michael." He takes a deep breath, staring at the other guardsmen, he exhales and shakes his head. "Helena..." He sighs as he catches her wide, teary gaze. Helena had always been a proud girl, never one to beg even as a child and fiery anger has always, always been her strongest emotion, not this sobbing mess that is before him today. The assassin must be something special for Helena to forget her pride and anger, he only hoped that this would end well, if only for Helena's sake. "Alright, We'll go but promise me, Helena, promise me that you will not let your emotions get the best you." She nods as she sniffles, "Yes, of course, whatever you feel is necessary." She says softly.

Quinn had been roughly tossed on a horse, Helena watches her carefully, quiet rage building inside her heart, she feels this new emotion then, it seemed like a dark, icy thorn stuck in her chest. The feeling is strong, growing just behind the anger, not as sudden, as explosive or as fiery but she's quite sure that whatever this was, it would consume even her anger. She watches Quinn cough, wheeze and groan and with every agonized sound she allows this quiet cold to numb her heart and she finds herself embracing this new found coldness within her. She feels her magic ebb and flow with this new emotion, so she holds on to the strange new emotion knowing that this would help her survive this ordeal, she would let it grow and fester, she thought to herself.

She clenches her jaw and steels her resolve as their group draws nearer to the imposing structure, the old fort, a barracks now, once a reassuring sight and now, now it's the place where her heart and all the goodness within her would possibly die. She clutches the horse's reigns, Quinn's horse, she reminds herself. The barracks loom closer still, so she straightens her spine, holds her head up high and urges the horse on as she quietly wills herself to shutdown her emotions, Quinn would need her to be calm.

-tbc-


	2. Time Stops When Hags Are Having Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the third chapter is nagging me now... Thank you in advance for reading this.. And thank you for the comments, I didn't think anyone would read through the first chapter. ^_^ Anywho, enjoy and leave a comment, maybe?
> 
> Also, I had fun picking out the guild's name, and for some reason it always ended with me thinking 'Gee, that'd make a great name for a rock band.' My favorite was 'The Sound Which Is Silence.'

Helena looks around as they enter the heavy, iron gates of the barracks. The smell of horse excrement, human urine, and burning iron from the smithy hit her all at once. She can hear the blacksmith hammering away on the red, hot iron, the men sparring at the practice yard and her eyes grow wide as she stares and stares but she can't seem to look away. There it was, the sight before her was to be one of Quinn's possible fates. Men and women in stocks and pillories, their bones visible as if it had melded with their skin, open sores and raw skin around the neck, wrists and ankles testaments of how long they've been kept like that.

She tears hear gaze away and looks at Quinn, her sweet, beautiful Quinn. She'd done her best to steel herself but to actually see it, smell the puss and the body odor of prisoners who haven't been allowed to bathe in Gods know how long. Helena shakes her head, willing the tears away, no, she thinks, this will not be Quinn's fate. "Helena," her head turns quickly, she hadn't noticed Michael ride next to her. "Keep your wits about you, girl." He doesn't wait for a reply, instead he rides ahead and she goes back to staring at Quinn. Bruises were now forming in Quinn's bloody face, blood mixed with saliva dripping from her mouth. She hears herself whimper, she would give anything to run to her right now, heal the bruises, wipe the blood, just touch her in some way if only to make sure that she was still breathing.

Quinn comes to just then, she cranes her neck and catches Helena's soft, fearful gaze, she smiles reassuringly, trying to tell her love that everything was going to be okay, that she would be okay. Gods she wishes she could rush over and pull the smaller woman into her arms and just hold her, wipe those tears away and swear over and over that she would be okay, that she would never willingly leave her love's side. She sees the tears fall faster and she struggles against her shackles, simply wanting to be closer to the enchantress but that is not to be, the guard beside her horse - the one with the chip on his closed helm, she quietly notes to herself - notices her struggles so he throws a light punch to her side, she feels her ribs give a little more and she coughs as the pain makes her choke on her own saliva.

-

As they reach the big wooden doors of the barracks' main hall, the guard drags her off of the horse just enough to let gravity and her body weight do the rest. She falls off, her side landing right on to the chains of the shackles that are binding her hands and feet. She hears a gasp, a yell and footsteps rapidly moving towards her, she keeps her eyes closed as the footfalls reach her and they come to a complete stop beside her head.

There's a choked sob and then her head is being cradled by soft, warm arms and she feels herself relaxing because it feels so, so good. She does her best to breathe in her love's scent, it hurts and her ribs are so broken that she can barely breathe but it's worth it, she opens her one good eye because the other one is swollen shut and she just looks, it's all a blur but she focuses and does her best to look up at her love, she commits the sad, heartbroken face to memory.

Her smile looks more of a grimace than anything else but her wish had been granted and she finds that she can't really ask for anymore, her God is not a God of love and life and mercy, her Deity is death and this short time that she is being given is a small blessing. "Love, kiss?" She rasps out, pleading. The kiss comes after a moment, her love's tears sting her cuts, her love's lips uncomfortable on the gash on her lip, she can barely breathe but she doesn't mind, she's able to forget where she is, why she's here and she focuses on this one beautiful moment, she will remember this moment, just this moment for when the executioner comes for her, she smiles into the kiss as a sudden warmth spreads into her sides, she gradually begins to feel better.

"Oi! That's enough of that, witch!" Helena slowly pulls away from her lover's lips, she gently lays Quinn's head on the ground and gracefully rises from her position, she helps Quinn up and looks toward the end of the corridor. Wrapping her arm around Quinn's midsection, they start walking towards the double doors the lead to the main hall, a few slow, staggering steps and Quinn is ripped from her side by the guard.

"Move, parasite!" He roughly shoves Quinn forward, she trips on her shackles and falls, scraping her forehead on the floor. She wills herself to get up, glancing behind her she sees Helena's eyes flicker, she tilts her head to the side, wondering if she'd just imagined the change. She lets out a soft 'Huh.' as she turns and starts making her way to the great hall with the guard and her love trailing behind her.

-

As the doors open, she can see the council already seated on their high-back chairs on the platform and right in front of them, the five people she'd called family for four winters and, strangely, off to the sides, hidden in the shadows, was the crone who lived just at the edge of the kingdom. The guard shoves her forward yet again, she turns her head sharply and finds the energy to scowl at him.

She continues to walk and she notices that Helena has moved into the shadows, moving towards and stopping beside the crone, she's speaking quietly with the old woman, head down, shoulders sagging, in the low light, Quinn can still somehow see the fresh tears springing from her eyes. To her surprise the old woman pats Helena's cheek gently, even affectionately.

The head council man's voice echoes in the hall as he speaks, breaking Quinn out of her reverie, "All who stand before this Council, are accused of being members of a guild of murderous heathens known by name as The Kinsmen." Six people, including Quinn, held their heads high, their faces blank masks of indifference. "Furthermore, all who stand before this Council are accused of High Treason, a crime punishable by death or a lifetime of involuntary servitude, stripped of free will, all titles gained by birth or marriage, wealth earned or inherited, and all rights as a human person once proven guilty."

The head of the council, clears his throat and unrolls a parchment. "Now, all accused are ordered by this Council to step forward as their name is called. Magnus of the Wood." A short, thin man with silvery hair steps forward, his face seemingly stuck in a perpetual half-sneer, his stance relaxed. "Aidan of the High Towers." A dark-haired man, of average height and lean built steps forward, his handsome face holding the proud, arrogant expression of someone of noble standing. "Calleigh Higgins." The fair-haired girl steps forward, she was beautiful, even with red-rimmed eyes and the rags hanging off of her shoulders. "Sean Higgins." The boy steps forward, his blonde hair falling in his face as he stays close to his twin, even in shackles he's still protective of his sister. "Hector of the South." Tall, dark and defiant, he steps forward his dark hair, usually combed and kept, now unruly curls that went about whichever way it pleased. "Finally, Quinn of the Sea." He says simply. Quinn steps forward, she spares a glance at Helena, dear, sweet, beautiful Helena, with her hands covering her mouth to stops herself from sobbing out loud, her teary gaze alternating from the crone to Quinn.

"What have you to say for yourselves?" The head Council man asks sounding bored and uninterested, Quinn simply scowls, their fates had been decided this trial is- "This trial is a farce!" It was Hector, the next to speak was Magnus, "We'd already been sentenced to death, what is the point of drawing out this insipid act, Councilman?" Calleigh raised her head, she spoke in her quiet tones but her piercing blue eyes screamed, "You know as well as we do that these accusations are false. What evidence have you to implicate any of us of the latter crime? Where are your witnesses? Where is the jury of our peers? If none of these are present then Hector and Magnus are correct, this trial is a farce and our heads already have a place on a rack with a plaque atop a nobleman's fireplace." Sean smiles and nods along with his sister, he'd never really been one for talking and the same goes for Aidan and Quinn.

The Councilman sneers, "We need no jury, no evidence, our witness is the queen herself!" There's a soft gasp from where Helena and the hag stood, "And according to the queen, who in her family did we kill? For this to be actual high treason, the king or the princes should be dead. So, Councilman, who is dead?" Calleigh arched her brow, her twin mimicked her look.

The Councilman representing the merchants had the decency to shrink into his high-back chair. Another council member, a woman this time, spoke up. "Good God, Eamon, your idiotic scheme has been caught, just send the heathens to their deaths and tie up your loose ends." The head Councilman's face turns red, with his fists shaking he yells, "Hag!" Quinn's eyes widen as the old woman slowly makes her way towards them. "The price, Councilman?" The hag croaks.

Eamon scowls, "I am willing to pay, hag." The old crone nods her head once. She beckons Helena to come to her, "Time for farewells, girl." Helena makes her way to Quinn, her legs are shaky, her knees are weak, she reaches Quinn and abandons all pretenses as she simply clings to her and their love that can never seem to be. Quinn closes her eyes and buries her nose in the crook of Helena's neck and breathes in. "Quinn, I..." She sobs as the portal opens behind the assassins. Quinn simply shakes her head, "I loved you then, I love you now and I will love you for the rest of this lifetime and every lifetime hereafter." Helena let's out another sobs and clings tighter, "I'm so, so sorry for wasting so much time. I love you, only you."

The crone pulls the young sorceress back with surprising strength as the portal turns blue, Helena turns around, and faces the crone. "Seanmháthair?" Her pain filled gaze meeting the crone's wise ones. The crone smiles warmly at her, she tilts her head in confusion and before she realizes what it was that the crone was planning, she's being pushed in and through the portal. Mid-fall, her surprise turns into understanding and she smiles as she lets herself fall.

-

The remaining occupants of the hall are unnaturally silent, "Do not forget the price you must pay, Councilman." The old hag mutters, he nods stiffly. By this time tomorrow his daughter and his wife would be dead as would his cousin, the king, his sons and that bitch of a queen and he, he would finally have his righteous place as king, he'd paid every price he had to pay to get there, he would do nothing to ruin it and allow no one to take it from him, everything for power. "Live with the consequences, Councilman, in this life and all your lives that come after this. Blood for blood, soul for soul." The hag cackles as black smoke engulfs her, a Raven flies out the window, and time moves again, no one is any wiser that Eamon had just sold his soul to the devil. But he would be king then, and there would be other crones, he would find a way to save his soul at any cost.

-tbc-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seanmháthair = grandmother


	3. And So It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3, obviously. Enjoy.I'm finding it difficult to write them and not have them veer off OOC.. -sigh- 
> 
> Chapter 4: Coming soon

Storybrooke, Maine  
10 years later

"Sheriff Swan!"   
Emma jumps from her seat, nearly toppling it over, she clutches the edge of the desk with one hand as she runs the other through her hair in an attempt to calm herself, "Jesus, Regina. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"No dear, that would be the cheeseburger you had for lunch." Emma rolls her eyes at Regina as the brunette takes a seat in front of the Sheriff's desk, smoothing her skirt and crossing her leg, making herself comfortable. 

Emma sighs wearily, "What do you want, Regina?" She picks up her mug and takes a sip, her coffee is cold and frankly, a little disgusting. Choking on the said drink, Emma furrows her brows as she spits the coffee back in the mug. They should really clean the coffeemaker, she thinks to herself. Regina makes a face, undoubtedly disgusted by the display. "I see that your boyfriend has been rubbing off on you." Emma huffs and puts the mug down. "He's not my-" 

"Anyway, Sherriff," Regina says as she waves her hand, dismissing the blonde's reply. "I trust you've taken the necessary safety precautions for the All Hallows' Eve weekend?" In her mind, she had every right to be concerned, Henry would be going out trick or treating with his friends that weekend and she just couldn't trust the idiot who was currently running the town. 

"Of course I have, I have days to check and re-check everything Regina, you have nothing to worry about. Go enchant your flying broom or work on turning yourself green and growing a few warts or whatever." Emma says flippantly, fingering the mug handle, desperately wishing for a proper cup of coffee or maybe something stronger, because it's Regina.

Regina scowls, "I am not my sister, Miss Swan. I am simply concerned for my son's safety. I cannot find it in myself to trust you or your idiot parents to keep my son safe." 

"Okay, one, he's our son and two, they're not idiots..." Emma trails off and Regina arches a brow, waiting for Emma to continue. "They're my parents." A smug, little smile begins to appears on Regina's face, her arched brow challenging Emma to continue. She purses her lips and raises her hands in mock surrender. "You know what? Whatever, Regina." 

Smugly, Regina nods, acknowledging her small victory and dismissing the Sheriff all at the same time. "I'll be accompanying you when you finally decide to check those precautions, Miss Swan." She gracefully gets to her feet, brushing her skirts once, - just to make sure that it's wrinkle free - and twice - though, slower this time because the sheriff's eyes are following her hands as they move down her skirt - she smirks as she turns on her heel, sauntering out of the sheriff's station.

"I'll text you or whatever." Emma calls out after her. Without missing a step, Regina turns her head slightly, and she calls back, "Don't bother, I'll find you." Emma nods quietly, fingering her mug, still wishing for a cup of coffee and maybe a bear- A purple puff of smoke and the sudden appearance of a fresh cup of coffee and a bearclaw stops her train of thought, a second later she receives a text, 'Don't worry, it's not poisoned.' smiling at the small gesture, she fires off a quick thanks and a smiley face before happily digging into her mid-day snack.

-

The shrill ringing of her phone wakes Emma up with a start, because really, it's ass-over-tits AM and you just don't call people at that hour. Emma answers her phone without checking the call ID, still groggy from being rudely awakened, because it's still dark out and that's just rude. "Sherriff's mobile, there better be a dead body."

"Swan! A-" Killian's voice and then rustling, a few more sounds of struggle and a lot of curses later Leroy's voice filter's through her phone's speaker. "A bus just rolled into town!"

Emma sighs, "Right, and you want me to... What? Arrest the driver? Give him a ticket? Maybe, Run them out of town?" She could hear the distinct beeping of another call coming in, it's always the weird hours, she thinks. "I gotta get this other call, hold on." She says, obviously a little peeved. "I know that there's a Greyhound in town and no, I'm not arresting the driver, this better be an emer-"   
"The bus can wait, meet me at the place where Henry's Castle used to be, hurry." It was Regina this time, the usually calm Regina now had a slight tremor in her voice. Emma got up quickly, roughly pulled her jeans on and grabbed her badge and gun without missing a beat.

"I'm on my way." She says hurriedly, ending the call and completely forgetting about Killian and Leroy because if something could break through Regina's calm then it was worth checking out more than a stupid bus that strayed into Middle-of-nowhere, Maine.

-

Regina calms down a bit upon hearing the distinct sound of a car door slamming shut, "Took your time, didn't you, Miss Swan?" Regina says without looking at the Sheriff.

"Yeah well, the Bug wouldn't start." Emma huffs as she jogs towards Regina, she stops beside the brunette looking her over carefully. She notices that Regina's hands were balled into tight fists, she had clenched her jaw and she was shaking. All in all, Regina was a nervous ball of energy and Emma felt like she was about to explode. So Emma took a risk and enveloped Regina in a hug, rubbing soothing circles on the small of her back, trying to calm her. "Hey... Hey, it's okay, I got you." Regina stiffens for a moment before clutching the front of Emma's sweater and leaning into the hug. She holds the brunette a little bit tighter and the hug lasts for a little bit longer than what's considered appropriate but hey, it's Regina. "Look." Regina murmurs into her shoulder. She turns her head, following Regina's line of sight, stopping at the lump of black, human-looking something on the ground, clearly Regina had gone fire happy on the thing. "The hell is that?"

"I don't know but it looked human and it attacked me." Regina, though outwardly calm, still had the slight tremor in her voice. Emma hesitantly lets go of Regina to investigate the lump-thing on the ground, she pokes it with the toe of her boot, once, twice and at the third time, the lump falls apart, it seemed to caved into itself turning into a mere outline of, well, a lump-thing. She turns and looks at Regina, "Okay, I know you're not lying but what the hell do you mean by 'it looked human'? And what the hell were you doing out here at this hour?"

"Can you not understand basic English, Miss Swan? I meant exactly what I said." Regina snaps, she still, however, wraps her arms around herself to stop herself from shaking or maybe keep the warmth, that Emma had generated, around her or maybe it's both. "I felt something come into town, Sheriff, something powerful, strong. I followed its magic and it brought me here. Emma searches Regina's face for a few moments, "You're telling the truth." Emma says, simply.

"Surprised, Sheriff?" The disdain in Regina's voice made Emma sigh. "No, it's just that- " Emma tries to explain but the sudden ringing of her mobile cuts her off mid-sentence. she huffs as she fumbles for her phone, "Killian, talk to me."

"Swan, someone from the bus attacked one of your mother's wee friends. We're holed up in The Rabbit Hole," There was a small pause and then she could hear Killian and a few others chuckling. "Bloody brilliant, holed up in The Rabbit Hole." Regina watches Emma expectantly, brow arched as if to say 'Well?' Emma simply shrugs and gestures towards the car, Regina scowls at the Bug but makes her way towards it anyway with Emma following close behind.

"Well? Has your boyfriend died?" Regina says as Emma enters the driver side of the Bug, choosing not to rise to the bait. 

She turns the key in the ignition but the Bug doesn't start so, she tries again, still nothing, "Anytime tonight, Miss Swan." Emma frowns, she turns her head and just looks at Regina - who, thankfully, had calmed down considerably - Regina, in turn, simply looks back at Emma, brow arched. She should just lean in, Emma thinks, just lean in.

"Hello? Emma! Emma!" Ruby yells from the other end of the line, the call was still on-going. Emma snaps out of it first, trying the ignition again, this time, the bug starts. Regina purses her lips and turns her head away from Emma, opting to look out her window instead as they finally make their way to The Rabbit Hole.


	4. Down The Rabbit Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late update. I'm a slow writer and I live a lot of people and dogs in a 1-floor house. Still, please enjoy.

They're a block from The Rabbit Hole when Emma slows the Bug to a crawl, its noisy engine mimicking a small train what with all the chugging noises it was making, "Sheriff, the object of the game is to be quiet, your deathtrap's incessant chugging isn't helping us achieve this goal."

Emma frowns, choosing to focus on casing the block rather than Regina's hateful comments about her Bug, though sometimes it gets to her, tearing at her heart from time to time because she loves her Bug. Regina's hand grips her arm, she turns to look at Regina questioningly, "Emma, someone's coming," Emma pauses as she tilts her head and positively beams, "You called me Emma, you touched me without wanting to kill me and you called me Emma." 

The brunette gives Emma the 'you're an idiot' look, "Were dropped on your head as a child? Someone is coming towards us, someone who could possibly be dangerous, keep up, Sheriff!" The sheriff's smile instantly drops a frown replacing the smile and the blonde's green eyes are intensely looking at her, "Regina, behind you." Emma whispers quietly.

Regina steels herself, feeling her back go ramrod straight, she shifts as she turns towards her window, looking directly at a young woman who had wide hazel eyes. She couldn't be more than twenty, Regina thought, as she carefully studies the young woman's face, there was something about those wide, trusting eyes that reminded her of Snow but... But there was also an edge in them, nothing malicious, no, just an edge like she's seen too much, like she could possibly attack someone if, and the operative word is if, she was provoked.

So, Regina does the most logical thing in her mind, she unlocks her door and steps out of the Bug. This sends Emma scrambling out of her seat, hand on her weapon. Regina gestures for Emma to stay, never taking her eyes off of the brunette before her. "Hello dear, my name is Regina and this," she gestures towards Emma, "is Sheriff Swan, what is your name?" Regina, despite looking calm and collected, let her magic rise to the surface - being attacked once in one night was quite enough, thank you - she wasn't about to let her guard down again.

The young woman's eyes widen for just a fraction before she steps back suddenly guarded and pulls out a black, wooden knife from her satchel, sharp point aimed at Regina's chest. Emma pulls out her gun then, pointing it towards the girl, "Drop the knife, lady!"

For her part, Regina simply smirks, she could sense the magic in the girl now, though it was different. It almost felt natural to this world, still, magic was magic, she can do this in her sleep, really. "Put your gun down, Sheriff." Emma looks slightly confused. That look, Regina digresses, is all sorts of adorable on Emma.

With a flick of her wrist, the girl's knife went flying off of her hand and cluttering to the pavement. The young lady looked dumb-founded, her hazel eyes, wide with fear and surprise, alternately looking at her hand, the knife, Regina and then back to her hand. "We're not going to hurt you, dear. Just tell us your name- " The girl, apparently getting over her shock, throws her hands up, hitting Regina with an invisible force and slamming Regina's back against the Bug.

"Regina!" On instinct, the blonde fires her weapon twice, hitting the younger girl squarely on the chest, Emma then runs to the older brunette, gently checking for any injuries. Regina brushes her hand away and holds her hand out, palm facing outward to the younger brunette, while struggling to get up. Emma follows the direction of the hand, her eyes widen at the sight of the younger brunette in stasis, she was mid-standing up, the only sign that she'd been shot were the bloodstains on her top.

Emma helps her up and she sways for a moment, in an instant Emma is right beside her, holding her up. "Are you okay?" Regina breathes through the sharp, throbbing pain on her back, the bug's handle had caught her back at an awkward angle. "Yes." She simply hisses out, doing her best to concentrate on channeling her magic. Emma's response was to gingerly touch Regina's back, unconsciously channeling some healing magic to the woman's injured back.

"Swan!" The women turn their heads to the source of the voice. It was Killian, running towards them with Ruby and Leroy in tow. Emma tosses her cuffs to Ruby, "Cuff the bitch and bring her to the station." she says glaring at the immobile brunette.

Regina releases the girl from the stasis spell and slumps on Emma, she pats Emma's shoulder, "Thank you, Sheriff. You can stop now." Emma looks down on her hand and she consciously stops healing Regina.

Ruby and Killian haul the younger woman up to her feet, the pirate pauses and gives the women a onceover. "You two," he says, gesturing with his hook, "You going to be okay?" Killian looks genuinely concerned, as does Ruby.

Emma nods into Regina's hair, Regina nods into Emma's shoulder and Leroy just looks drunk as he mumbles something about 'keeping this sister company and how she better not take his cell.' Ruby tilts her head, taking in the scene before her. It was intimate, Emma's arms were now fully around the brunette as Regina, leans into the embrace, one arm snaking around the blonde and the other hand moving to gently press on the sheriff's stomach, a gesture that visibly calms the blonde. With a "Huh." Ruby tugs on their prisoner's arm, surprisingly, the younger brunette follows complacently; seemingly terrified of Ruby.

-

She keeps her head low as they walk into a very standard, almost perfect, sheriff's station, she observes her surroundings, peering from beneath her lashes, she noted two exits, the emergency door and the door from which they entered, she also notes the various structural weaknesses of the station, she takes special of the big glass windows. Her shoulders, arms and wrists were becoming uncomfortable, her chest still throbbed from having been shot, she could tug and break loose but that would give her away so, she lets the pair lead her to be photographed and processed.

The beautiful brunette woman, who in her mind she calls the wolf, opens a cell for the bearded man who smells like a brewery and body odor. She can only assume that this man is the town drunk, possibly homeless. She watches as the town drunk enters his cell and plops down onto the cot, instantly passing out, letting out a the first loud snore of the night.

"What's your name, luv?" She turns her head to the leather clad man and she just stares at the shiny metal extension of his arm, he had a hook for a hand, it was peculiar. Moreover, how could she tell him her name if her hands were bound? Did they not realize that she was mute? The wolf hands the one handed man a small white board with 'Jane Doe' written on it, he holds it in front of her just beneath her collarbone, she flinches at the sudden flash of the camera and then she's being lead into a cell of her own and her bindings taken off.

The hook-handed man had her satchel and was currently rummaging through the contents, the wolf promptly slaps his hand away and stores her satchel in a locker. "What? She's our captive." The wolf frowns as she sits heavily on an uncomfortable looking chair, "Different world, different rules. Everyone has rights here Killian, you don't just loot their stuff just because they're your prisoner." She's relieved and grateful that the wolf is at least decent person and it must show on her face because the brunette is smiling at her reassuringly.

The man simply shrugs as he walks over to retrieve the darts from the dart board, the brunette woman or beast - she can't decide since this male human seems to be acting more barbaric than the woman - takes her mobile from her pocket and promptly becomes lost in a world of her own, smiling and chuckling from time to time.

She's lying on the cot, watching the lecherous, one-handed man as he watches her when she hears the clicking of heels and the quiet murmur of a conversation. She sits up at the same time as Ruby looks up and they look at each other, Ruby with curious, questioning eyes and her, with a knowing smile on her full, unpainted lips.

"Ah, Swan." Killian smiles rakishly, throwing the last dart to the board. Emma nods in reply, smiling tightly as she and Regina turn towards the prisoner in the very last cell, Regina crosses her arms on her chest and the sheriff puts her hands on her hips, watching her prisoner, noting the bloodstains and the lack of bullet holes on her chest, it was disconcerting. "You got anything out of her, Rubes?" 

The brunette snaps out of the gaze and pockets her phone, "Nope, we were waiting for you two." The prisoner turns her gaze towards the pair standing before her cell, she watches the regal brunette study her, "Alright, let's try this again, dear. What's your name?"

The younger brunette moves her right hand up chest-level. She then rapidly finger-spells her name. In her ten years in this world, she'd only learned the basics of finger spelling before she'd had to move to another city and then another state and frankly she was exhausted but she was here now, in Maine, in the place where she tracked the only source of power that could possibly break their curse or destroy the others, whichever comes first.

"Oh for God's sake, she's mute." The blonde exclaims in frustration, as she rushes over to a random desk, grabs a pen and a pad of paper and placing it right in front of her cell. "You can write, right?" She rolls her eyes, scoffing silently. The blonde, she decides, is an idiot. She moves gracefully as she retrieves the pen and pad of paper, arching a brow and smirking at the sheriff.

Her hand makes flourishing movements as she writes, pausing from time to time, bring the plastic tip of the pen to the corner of her pursed lips like she would with the feathered end of a quill. 'I am Helena, seanmháthair pushed me into the portal to give me a life with my lover. Yet she and her fellow exiles do not remember me, this world has twisted them into something dark, something deeply disturbing. I know not why, perhaps it is part of the curse, perhaps this world could only interpret us as twisted creatures, eternally thirsty for life. I do not wish to return to my world but perhaps they need to be returned, this exile was meant to punish them but not at the expense of the denizens of this world, barbaric and uncouth as they may be.' She pauses again, looking at the sheriff and the brunette who had the stature of royalty, they'd moved closer to each other, her silence obviously making them uncomfortable. The lecher and the wolf are standing behind them, the lecher standing closer to the sheriff, making the blonde shift uncomfortably, at that moment Helena felt like she was about to be lynched but not really, it was an odd feeling; this fear mingled with relief.

The older brunette huffs impatiently, "Are you finished?" The question breaks her out of her reverie and she starts writing again. 'In the decade that I'd been here, it was only in the last three years that I sensed a great influx of power and I followed it here. I need your help, I need you to do what I cannot.' She pauses yet again, closing her eyes to stop the tears from falling onto the paper, she turns away from the group, quietly wiping the tear that had strayed, the blonde frowns, noting the heavy air of sadness around Helena.

'In my travels in this world, I'd met others of my kind but none as bold as the exiles I'd been forced to follow, the others seem almost fearful, they live in an almost secret world but it is not for you to know. The exiles, as I've taken to calling them, they need to be destroyed or returned from whence they came. There were six, now there is five, Aidan is dead, his hubris proved to be his downfall. He challenged a leader of a coven that had taken them in, he was thrown outside, burned by the sun.'

She pauses for the umpteenth time, biting her lip to stop herself from sobbing out loud, she knew she was sentencing her lover to death by doing this yet she continues to write. 'I've followed them, Magnus is their leader and I have seen the destruction they leave in their wake, the brutality they exert to take what they want. I've watched them commit crimes that they themselves abhorred when they were in our world, they need to die if the effort of returning them is too great.' She stops and slips the pages through her cell bars.

The older brunette picks up the pages, simply scanning it, "I love your handwriting." she states in a matter-of-fact-tone. "Really, Regina?" Emma says incredulously. She simply shrugs, eyeing the blonde from beneath her lashes, a small, mysterious smile, slowly forming on full lips, "What can I say? I do like pretty things, Miss Swan." Regina drawls out. the blonde's response was silent, a blatant want as her eyes dart to the brunette's lips. Helena arches a brow, Ruby hides her own smile and Killian loudly clears his throat, breaking but not completely destroying the moment.

Regina and Emma both turn their attention back to the pages, Regina frowns "Eternally thirsty for life?" Helena nods and she quickly scribbles one word and slips the paper to Regina. The blonde frowns as Regina's eyes widen, "Sanguis." Three sets of eyes turn to her in confusion, "Blood." Regina pauses, her brows furrowing. "They're vampires."


	5. Ready, Set, G- Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for a very late update.

Regina checks her watch, it was a quarter to five. She looks at the younger brunette, hazel eyes imploring her to believe, she nods at Helena, seeing the relief wash over her beautiful features. "Ruby, close the blinds and warn Eugenia, make sure her crossbow is ready. Pirate, I need you to retrieve one of your sails, the darkest one. Miss Swan, deputize the known warriors who are in town, insure that they don't patrol alone at night and establish a curfew." Regina then bangs on Leroy's cell, he wakes in a start and glares at Regina, "What do you want, sister?" He sneers. "Dwarf, I need you and your little friends to be the town criers, given your affiliation to the Idiots, it shouldn't be too hard to spread word around."

For a second everyone just looks at her as if they were about to protest so, she straightens her back, puts her hands on her hips, her head held high. Everyone, including Helena, seems to tense as she arches her brow and smirks. "Well? Don't just stare at me, go!" Ruby scrambles to her feet and starts closing the blinds, Emma picks up her phone and dials Snow, Hook scowls but starts walking towards the exit, Leroy jumps from the cot and nearly runs into his cell door. Everyone pauses again, looking at Leroy he gestures angrily at the bars, the former mayor sighs and with a flick of her wrist the cell door slides open and Leroy rushes out with Ruby and Hook.

"What are you going to do?" Emma says quietly from behind Regina. "I'm going to talk to Rumpel." The blonde raises her brows in surprise, unsure of Regina's decision "Are you sure we can trust him?" Regina purses her lips thoughtfully as she turns around to face Emma "No but if he didn't orchestrate this then he should, at least, know something about this, in theory."

The blonde frowns then pulling her mobile away from her ear, "And if he did?" The former mayor gracefully raises one slim shoulder, her version of a shrug, "Then he'll laugh at my face and taunt me with his riddles. Honestly Miss Swan, do you think me so helpless that I am unable to defend myself against an imp?" Emma's frown deepens, "No Regina, I worry, that's all, I mean, you nearly got beat up by a hippie." Regina's brows shoot up before her face instantly darkens as she scowls, she looks incensed but Emma holds a hand up, its motions placating, "And -and okay, if he didn't do this he'll want to strike another deal for the information or some sort of convoluted solution to this problem."

"Better the devil we know, Miss Swan." Regina replies still scowling, she turns around and apparates out of the Sheriff's department leaving Emma to make the necessary arrangements and to watch Helena for the remainder of the night.

-

Rumpelstiltskin sits up in bed, he takes a deep breath and looks to Belle's side of the bed. He smiles as he gently runs his hand through her soft hair, it would all be so perfect if he hadn't lost his boy. He sneers at the memory, having avenged Baelfire had evened the score but Zelena's death didn't stop the dull, hollow ache, he suspects that the ache would never completely wane. Belle and his dagger are the only things keeping him in line and he wouldn't willingly risk losing both. 

The sound of the doorbell chiming forces him out of bed, grabbing his cane, he makes his way to the door. Who in the world would be foolish enough to be at his doorstep much less ring the doorbell at this hour. The only person brave enough to do something like this was Regina, he starts undoing the locks on his door, leaving the chain connected. He hears a huff and the tapping of a shoe on his porch floor. "Your majesty, what a... Pleasant surprise." He says, his usual fake smile in place, he closes the door and undoes the chain opening the door wider though not stepping aside. "What could her majesty possibly want at this hour?"

 Arms crossed over her chest, Regina stills her tapping foot, "I just got slammed onto the deathtrap by a mute vampire, do you know anything about this?" A thoughtful look crosses Rumpel's face, "Ah, so that was the pulse of power I felt earlier." He's quiet for a beat, he then asks, "Now, why would you think that?"

"Because this is exactly the type of thing you would do. What do you hope to gain by striking a deal with the leeches, Rumpel?" She whispers as she looks passed him, her arms no longer crossed but are now hugging her mid-section. "Nothing because I made no such deals. I will not put Belle's safety at risk, I've already lost my boy..." He pauses at this, his lips forming a thin line.

Regina takes a deep breath, she nods once, still not convinced but what could she do, she couldn't very well force The Dark One to reveal his plans if he was planning anything. So, Regina moves to walk away from the porch only to stop when Rumpel calls out to her. "Regina, I have my version of a happy ending, I will not lose this chance on a fool's bargain." Regina looks at him for a moment, as if considering her options, "Well then, Helena, this vampire, she says more are coming and that we need to be ready." She let's that statement hang as she walks a short distance finally disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

"Curious." He whispers to no one as he makes his way back inside his house.

-     

Dawn was coming, Helena feels her bones shake, the fear of impending death settling in the pit of her stomach. She realizes that the thin material of the blinds wouldn't be enough to keep the deadly rays out so, she moves to the darkest corner of the cell. The first rays filter in through the blinds as she looks desperately at the blonde sheriff who was asleep on her desk, Gods, she thinks, this is probably it, she's going to burn to death. It would be painful, she knows, she'd seen and heard Aidan. Helena can only hope that Quinn would find the goodness in her to break free of Magnus' control, she scoffs at this thought, Quinn's loyalty to Magnus was second only to her loyalty to Helena. So, she's probably failed her love and the people of this world.

Two sets of rapidly approaching footsteps breaks the silence in the station, the first, a rapid click-clacking of high-heels and the second, a dull thudding of boots, she hears her cell door opening and then the windows are being draped with thick, black, heavy things, it smelled of fish and the ocean, she realizes belatedly.

"Okay, operation save the blood-sucker is a success." Ruby breathes out, still catching her breath. "Indeed, no need to thank me, pet." The statement was directed towards as he walks towards Helena, she shies away from the lecher, he still smells of rum and something else, he really should change his clothes from time to time, preferably on a daily basis.

"Emma! Wake up!" Again, for the second time today, Emma jumps from her seat, staring bleary-eyed at the duo in front of her. "What the hell, Rubes. Can you not do a Regina?" Ruby smiles teasingly, "I wouldn't dream of it, she'd flay me alive and use me as a rug if I did anything like that." The blonde furrows her brows in confusion, she shrugs it off as she rubs the sleep from her eyes not really stifling the yawn. "Speaking of, where is her majesty?" Killian asks as he slides the cell door close. "Went off to see Gold."

Just as she mumbles from behind her desk a puff of purple smoke appears, Regina already walking towards the coffee maker as the smoke dissipates, "Coffee anyone?" Emma drops her head on her desk as she raises her hand, Hook raises his flask and takes a drink, Ruby simply shakes her head, "I'm off to Granny's, it's about breakfast rush." She calls out as she makes her exit.           

Regina looks at the coffeemaker and sniffs in disgust, "I see that your lack of basic housekeeping skills is still in effect in your workplace, Sheriff." Emma grumbles as she makes grabby hands, her mumbling for coffee becomes dangerously close to a whine. Regina huffs and starts working on cleaning the coffemaker, why she doesn't use her magic is beyond her but still, it felt good to do something physical even if it's as inane as preparing coffee for the sheriff.

And herself, she thinks after a long pause, the Sheriff and herself because she wouldn't do anything JUST FOR the sheriff. Besides, it keeps her hands busy, keeping her from incinerating the insufferable pirate flirting with Emma. Regina huffs at her train of thought, sure they've been nicer to each other after the whole 'You brought back my soul mate's wife from the dead.' debacle. Giving the sheriff a chance to make up for that unintentional mistake was probably a good decision, she nods quietly agreeing with herself as she empties the filter into a nearby trashcan. Still, this did not, in any way, mean that she had to be nice to the Sherriff's idiot suitor.  

She scowls and forces her mind to shift to a more important subject, like the impending vampire infestation and how coffee would probably go well with the breakfast pastry Emma liked so much, she shakes her head then, no, something more substantial, something healthier. She lets her thoughts drift to the tangent of making Emma breakfast one of these days, her hands stop mid-replacing the filter, a slight frown forms between her brows, What? Make her breakfast? No! What is she thinking?

She hears the pirate shuffle, presumably closer, to Emma's desk, her scowl deepens as she finishes her work with the coffemaker. She turns towards Helen sitting primly on the cot observing the sheriff and the pirate, there's a silent scoff and a roll of the eyes every once in a while, Regina realizes that it only happens every time the pirate tries to charm the sheriff.

Regina chooses two of, hopefully, the cleanest mugs available. Helena turns her attention to the former mayor, her gaze curious as Regina walks -no, she saunters- over to Emma, handing her a mug. The blonde blows, trying to cool the surface of the hot liquid, she hums appreciatively, smiling up at Regina after one sip, "Hungry." The blonde purrs, still smiling "Mmm, I bet." Regina whispers, a half smile playing at her lips. Helena smiles at the exchange, her smile widens at Hook's dejected look, serves him right, the lecher.  

-

The day passes quickly as the preparations were made. Emma had temporarily deputized Hook, Robin and Fredrick, that's it, she thinks, David, Hook, Robin, Fredrick and herself, all the warriors she could find. Regina had left the station after the short coffee break to check on Henry and presumably move him to somewhere safe.  Ruby and Granny had called earlier, telling her that they were ready but for what, they didn't know.

She feels a sense of dread as the sun begins to set, checking her gun and securing her sword once every few minutes, this dread was making her nervous and fidgety, she needed to move so, she shuffles over to the gun cabinet looking at a couple of shotguns and a rifle. "Jesus," she mutters to herself upon realizing that she's the only one who knew how to use a firearm, a sidearm at that. "Fat lot of good this'll do." She mutters again as a balled up piece of paper hits her on the head.

She turns quickly towards Helena "What the hell?" She says, picking up and unraveling the piece of paper, she reads the message once, twice and then her eyes widen and her head shoots up, looking directly at Helena's fear-stricken face. "They're here..." She breathes out, feeling fear wash over her like ice water. Emma scrambles towards the phone, hoping against all hope that everyone was indeed ready.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's tough for me to get their personalities down :| I've decided that this thing that won't let me stop writing is a muse. The lore behind muses is kind of creepy LOL ^_^


	6. Welcome To Storybrooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, there was something that felt like a huge wall in brain for a while.

Ruby adjusts the remaining earpiece in her ear, the wire strategically hidden among the long strands of hair she hadn't bothered pulling back. Really, the new noise-cancelling earbuds she'd gotten were her new favorite thing, allowing her the luxury of her music while doing her work at the diner without seeming impolite to the diner crowd. She smiles as the first riff of Tainted Love filters through her earbud sending chills running up her spine, it adds just a bit more sway in her hips while she walked most days, something in that rhythm just makes her feel so sexy.

As the song plays she lets her eyes roam from the diner usuals to the entrance, spotting three cars, all black, all heavily tinted. A car door opens, a platinum blonde woman slowly, almost seductively, steps out of the vehicle. Her hair tumbling in subtle waves down her back, her trench coat stops just above the knee clinging to her body and high-heeled boots that can and possibly will rival Regina's. The blonde saunters over to the diner, full, moist, unpainted lips spreading slowly into a small smile as Ice-Blue eyes meet brown. At this point, Ruby will swear up and down that everything the blonde does happens in slow motion.

Ruby swallows, her gulp audible as she feels the unmistakable warmth spreading along her cheeks while the rest of her blood head south. She hurriedly takes out the earbud - Because Manson screaming about touching and teasing wasn't helping, at all - just as the blonde enters the diner. The chatter in the diner stops, all eyes turning to the new comer. "Good evening." The blonde's soft English accent cuts through the silence as she leans on the counter, directly in-front of Ruby. She blinks rapidly, snapping out of her trance "Hi," she croaks out. The blonde giggles at this so Ruby clears her throat and tries again "Hi, what can I get you?" The blonde simply shakes her head, "Nothing at the moment, perhaps you might be able to help me?" Ruby nods too quickly, finding herself very eager to help the blonde with anything. The blonde smiles wider then, "I was hoping that perhaps you've seen my brother? Blonde, blue eyes, basically a male version of me."

Ruby thinks for a moment before shaking her head, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone by that description in town and I would definitely remember seeing someone like you- I mean someone who looks like you around... You know, small towns and all that." The blonde smiles but the unmistakable look of worry lines her features, "A place to stay then? A small inn, perhaps a bed and breakfast?" Granny steps in before the brunette could answer, the old woman gives the blonde a once over before shaking her head. "The bed and breakfast is full, sailors and backpackers, you know. The closest motel would be a few miles back the way you came, best be off then before it gets too dark to drive."

The blonde narrows her eyes, though still leaning against the counter her shoulders are tense. Ruby looks from Granny to the blonde as each try to stare the other down, the blonde breaks the silence first. "And what of my brother?" Granny's lips form a thin line, not taking her eyes off of the blonde. "Come back in the morning, fill-up a form at the Sheriff's." The blonde's brow twitches up once before she regains her composure, turning to Ruby with the same small, hypnotic smile from earlier, "Thank you for your hospitality, Ruby." She says as her eyes dart to Ruby's name tag then back to the wolf's eyes. She runs a perfectly manicured nail along Ruby's hand as she backs away from the counter. Ruby nods, beaming at the blonde and the blonde winks as she saunters out of the diner. 

"Did you not smell her scent, girl?" The old woman snaps at Ruby. The brunette furrows her brows, "What scent?" Granny shakes her head and sighs, "I preferred it when you were sniffing around the Dark One's true love." Ruby pouts at this, it still stings whenever Belle was mentioned but all she could do was grin and bear it figuratively and sometimes literally, Belle was happy after all. She shakes the unhappy thoughts out of her head as she turns her attention to the matter at hand, "Granny, what scent?" Eugenia walks off to the kitchen as she mutters under her breath, "She smelled of death, girl. Stay away from her." Ruby nods, she takes out her mobile and fires off a quick text to Emma.

-

Calleigh runs her finger along the surface of a particularly dusty workbench, she looks at the dust coating the pad of her finger before turning around, a disappointed frown gracing her features. "Really, Hector an old abandoned warehouse? How... Quaint." The dark haired man simply grunts and tosses a satchel towards the blonde. "Just be glad I didn't choose a cave, Magnus said we would get a proper house when he gets here. For now, shut your mouth and get to work." 

Calleigh smirks, holding the satchel in her clean hand and running her dust-coated finger along his crisp, white shirt as she moves to set up the wards. He frowns, fingers flicking at the dark line of dust on his shirt "Very mature, Calleigh." Her laugh echoes along with the clicking of her heels on the concrete, "At least have your playthings scrub the floors. God knows they're only good for something when they're on their knees." He growls at her, bearing his fangs , an empty threat but a threat none the less. "Ooh, touched a nerve, have I?" 

His response is cut off as his brood starts filtering into the building, carrying caches of weapons and Calleigh's seemingly endless luggage, he removes his shirt and tosses it to the floor, irritated that the blonde had ruined yet another one of his possessions. "Get it done, Quinn is out looking for any signs of your brother. I'd like to have the wards up before dawn." The blonde hears him but she ignores him, focusing instead on setting the wards up and not worrying about her brother.

-

Quinn wanders around town, purposely avoiding the diner and the wolves that are there. She frowns as she thinks back on how Calleigh had taunted them, she shakes her head in disappointment and focuses on taking note of various shops and landmarks in town, dwelling on mistakes gets you killed. She follows the sidewalk, noticing the chill near the ice cream shop, the feeling of dread near the pawnshop and the pleasant scent of a female mingling with the musty smell of old books near the library. She stops in front of the sheriff's station, tilting her head when she feels a sharp tug in her chest. 

She follows her instincts and walks in, eyes instantly focusing on the young woman in the jail cell. It only takes a few strides to reach the cell, she ignores the 'hey' and the shouts for her to freeze. Reaching out she clutches one bar and gives the cell door a sharp tug, her eyes widen in surprise when not even the bar gives way. 

Her brows furrow when a hand grips her shoulder, she pivots quickly grabbing the arm, moving around and behind the blonde while twisting the arm and pushing her face-first, onto the bars. There's a grunt and the sound of head hitting steel. 

The woman in the jail stumbles a few steps back, her fear was palpable, Quinn tilts her head, not understanding why the caged woman feared her, they were the same after all. Her captive struggles for short time, grunting from time to time so she grabs a handful of long blonde hair, pulls the sheriff's head back and slams it onto the bars, not enough to kill, simply to stun. There's a dull twang as Emma's forehead hits the bar, "Stop Struggling." It was said quietly, almost a whisper. Emma shuts her eyes and stays still, dropping her free hand and focusing her emotions, love. Love worked right? Not this time, no, this time it was fear.

Her magic hurtles her assailant across the station, the woman's back hitting the concrete wall with a sickening thud. Emma turns around, leaning back against the cell. She breathes through the pain, her head is throbbing but she tries her best to focus, "What the shit?" She mutters over and over like a mantra as her assailant gets back up from her crumpled position. Emma holds her hand out, willing the magic to come, the light builds at her finger tips but it ultimately fizzles out. 

"Fuck!" She shouts as she slides down the bars, dizzy still. She takes her gun out from her holster, and points it at the woman, the woman who was now looking at her with a predatory glint in her eyes. "Fuck." She mutters as she belatedly realizes that she's bleeding. Emma takes her phone out of her pocket with her free hand and slides it inside the cell, "Regina, hold number two." 

Helena fumbles to pick up the mobile, she slides her finger unlocking the phone only to be met with the unlock pattern screen, she scowls at the phone then at Emma, "It's a horizontal line through the middle." Emma murmurs. She nods and slides her thumb across the screen, finding Regina's number and dialing, the call is picked up after the second ring , she tugs on Emma's jacket as "Miss Swan, you're interrupting my evening." comes through.

Quinn takes one step forward and a shot rings out, it misses her. She observes the blonde woman on the floor and the woman inside the cell holding a mobile, she fixates again. The tug seems to be towards the prisoner, she takes another step forward, another shot, another miss. The blonde shakes her head, trying to keep her arm and her aim steady, "Fuck. Regina, help!" 

Another step, but the shot didn't come instead, she hears the telltale smell of magic in the air. The purple smoke appears beside the fallen woman, she frowns as Regina fully materializes, fireball in hand. As soon as the purple smoke disappears completely the fireball comes flying towards Quinn, she twists her body letting the ball pass. "I want the prisoner." She simply says with a faint Irish accent, she's not looking at Regina even if her instincts are screaming at her to focus on the threat, so much for not getting distracted. "You're in no position to make any demands, dear." The brunette sneers , another fireball ready, she moves slowly to the front of Emma, shielding her.

Quinn purses her lips as she contemplates running away, feeling as if she's shaken a hornet's nest one too many times besides, she still needed to find Sean. So much for her mind being on the mission. She bolts for the exit then, faster than Regina or Emma can blink, she hits a barrier near the door, she bounces off of it landing on the floor and skidding to a halt at Regina's feet. "Good evening Your Majesty, Sheriff. Consider this a... Sampler of sorts, do with her as you will." Rumpelstiltskin says as he tips an imaginary hat and walks away from the station, the clacking of his cane against the pavement getting fainter and fainter. 

Emma looks to where the imp had been standing. "Well, that happened." Regina simply hums in response, with a flick of her wrist the cell door beside Helena's cell opens and another flick sends Quinn skidding along the floor, her unconscious form violently slamming against the back wall of the cell. The former mayor then helps Emma to her feet, leading her to the closest chair. 

Emma squeezes her eyes shut, her head still throbbing. "I don't think it's a concussion." She says as she feels Regina's cool fingers touching the tender skin around her injury. "Stop thinking, you might just slip yourself into a coma, dear. Just be glad that you're skull's as thick as the rest of the Uncharmings." Emma huffs as she opens her eyes as she feels the gentle warmth of Regina's healing permeate her skin, working its way through her, well, her thick skull. 

She finds Regina looking down at her, there's something soft in Regina's eyes. The brunette was so close Emma could feel her warmth, smell her scent - something expensive and something distinctly Regina - she can feel the brunette's soft puffs of breath hitting her skin, her eyes dart to Regina's lips. Emma smiles softly as her eyes glaze over, how good will it feel to have those lips against hers? how good will Regina taste? 

It takes Emma a few seconds to register that the warmth is no longer magic and that Regina's hand is now cupping cheek. The blonde leans into the touch, her own hand covering the brunette's, they move closer, Regina's lips descending and Emma's meeting halfway. "Regina! I ran here as fast as I could, you were in a panic and I-" He pauses as he sees the remnants of dried blood on Emma's forehead. "Sheriff! Are you alright?"

The women jump apart as Robin jogs into the station, Regina's clears her throat and smooths her blouse and skirt, this is about as flustered as Regina could get. Emma exhales sharply, as she frowns and clenches her jaw, this, this is why nothing will ever happen between them, Regina's Robin-shaped happy ending. The blonde rubs her sternum lightly at the slight twinge of something echoes through her chest as she realizes that Robin had been with Regina, in her home, doing probably happy-ending-things, when the call came.

"We're alright, dear. Thankfully, I got here just in time to save our dear Sheriff from being beaten to death." Regina says softly as she smiles at Robin. The thief smiles proudly at this, he moves towards Regina and wraps his arms around her, leaning down and kissing her. 

Emma watches the kiss and she closes her eyes, pressing her hand against her chest, the twinge becomes a choking squeeze and the echo becomes a reverberating shout. But this man is Regina's chance at a happy ending, wife or no, Robin is her soulmate so, Emma takes a deep breath and lets the waves of pain wash over her and turns her attention to the problem at hand. "I hate to interrupt," Emma starts and Regina smirks at her, "Well, interrupt again, but what do we do with her?" She gestures to the Quinn, she catches Helena's eyes and God bless her, the sympathy in those Hazel eyes makes Emma want to let the woman hug her until everything is better but Emma simply sighs and smiles back at Helena. Regina quietly observes the exchange and she frowns, Emma's smile directed at Helena is somehow annoying her and she's annoyed at herself for being annoyed by the exchange, she huffs, that other brunette was annoying.

Quinn comes to and sits-up on the floor, shaking her head,forcing herself to focus. She scowls as she realizes that she's in cell and then she looks beyond the cell doors, three sets of eyes are watching her, green, wary eyes -a bit of sadness there- guarded, blue eyes -more concerned for the brunette in his arms- and furious, brown eyes -those eyes scream murder-. Quinn sighs and stands-up, she knows there's no way out of this besides, if she tries to employ violence, she's absolutely sure that violence would be employed back ten-fold by the brunette alone and for the sole reason of moving towards the Sheriff in a threatening manner. 

So, she gives everyone, including the other prisoner -the reason she's in this mess in the first place- her most disarming grin. "I dun' goofed." She says as shoves her hands in her jean pockets and plops down on the cot, her sign of defeat even if she's still grinned, Magnus will not be happy about this, not at all.

-tbc-


	7. Not Feelings, Just Heart Disease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yey chapter 7! Wow, massive chapter 7! So, I'm going on a two week vacation thing and I can't update because I don't have a laptop ^_^ however, I'll be writing chapter 8 while on the road.. In my phone :D Happy holidays and Enjoy, everyone. :)

Somewhere at the edge of the woods in a land far, far away.

"Hag!" his deep voice ripped through the silence of the woods surrounding her small home. "I saw what you did! You sacrificed your own blood for the sake of power!" He slurs, heaving his dented helm at the door of the house as he tumbles, crushing her flowers beneath his heavy boot. "And just how much swill have you had to drink to have the courage to trespass in my home, boy?" She says, her scratchy voice grating on his nerves as well as his sense of hearing. Finnegan rights himself, standing straight, chest puffed out as proper soldier should, "That's none of your business, hag. I've come for justice for my beloved."

The crone cackles at his declaration as she stands at the threshold of her home. For anyone else, it looks like the soldier is trying to intimidate the bent old woman, in reality, his temporary bout of bravery or stupidity is quickly fading as the cackles send shivers down his spine. "Justice for your beloved, _your_ beloved, _justice_." She remains calm, almost dismissive, "Your pathetic obsession has gone on long enough, little boy. Do you think me an idiot? I know what you told your little soldier friends, I saw it in their eyes as they beat the unarmed assassin." The hag looks directly into his eyes as if she were seeing his very soul, he tries not to be afraid, he tries not to shake.

"I know you watch her in the evenings and I know what goes on during those times." She raises her cane and gently taps it onto the worn wooden floor of her hut. "I know many things, little Finnegan O'Hagan. Your jealousy, your hatred, your obsession, your perversions, your fears." She pauses, as she grins, he sees her crooked teeth, yellowed with age as he remembers the stories from his childhood, he can feel that same boyhood fear crawl up his spine and a whimper claw at his throat.

"Tell me, little Finn, just how did you take care of Little Scarlet when she came to you bearing news of babes? Did she not tell you beforehand not to release your filthy seed inside her? And you knew just where to let her float adrift so no one could find her floating downstream, her body swollen with decay and her belly fat with your offspring." 

 He snarls at the old woman, drawing his blade "How do you know about that?! No one knows about that!" She taps her cane onto the floor again, he drops his blade and falls to his knees. "She was going to tell Helena! We'd gotten closer, she was opening up to me, I finally had a chance! I did it for her, for us!" He tries to get up, tries to reach for his weapon but he just can't seem to move. She moves slowly, shuffling towards the rocking chair on her porch, she sighs as she takes her seat. "Now that I have a captive audience, let us speak of the sins of your father."

He whimpers as his legs simply refuse to move, the fear he felt was torture, he had worked all his life to be strong only to be rendered helpless to the will of this witch. "He was a good man, a good husband, a good fathe-!" A cackle interrupts his attempts to defend his father. "Ah yes, William was a good man, a good husband, a good example for his child to follow but you are not his child. You would have done to Helena what your father did to your mother."

His eyes widen in disbelief, as she continues on "He took your mother by force, she was just a child, not even on her seventeenth summer. Oh what pain she felt, she could barely breathe as he mounted her like a horse would mount it's mate but she was not his mate, she was not even a stranger to him, no, she was his blood, your real father was an abomination. And oh, how he tried to hide the shame, building lie upon lie upon lie to hide the truth." He struggles to stand, grunting at the effort and howling in rage, he wants to wrap his hands around her wrinkled neck and wring it until she was nothing but a broken corpse. "You lie! You! Lie!" She cackles again, "Ah but between us, I'm not the liar, am I, little man?"

 He bellows again, willing his arms to move, to reach for his weapon, to run this hag through. "Lie upon lie upon lie just like with poor Little Scarlet, she was the child of your mother's sister was she not? Oh, the shame." Her condescending tone drives him even more into a rage, "I would have had her! I would have had Helena! With her assassin gone I would have had her even by force I would have had her! I would have mounted her and forced her to take my seed and she would have been forced to marry me or face the shame! I would have done- No -I would do anything to be with her even if it meant I would be sending innocent people to their deaths!" He ends his rant in a shriek, his throat suddenly raw.

Thin lips form into an even thinner line, "Ah, so a murderer admits his guilt." He snarls at her, cursing and struggling. "And you took part in carrying out these murders, yes?" He struggles again, trying to think of any way to break her hold instead he growls out, "Yes, wearing the guild's colors..."

The old woman nods once, she closes her eyes and begins to rock the chair slowly as if drifting off to sleep. The soldier struggles again, this time, as if by some miracle, the invisible bonds that hold him fade away. He scrambles for his sword, he crosses the short distance while winding back, he reaches the porch steps and brings the blade down towards the hag's neck.

Time stops, the blade is an inch from the hag's neck, the hag's eyes open "Say a word, break the curse, make her remember! Speak! Speak! For my salvation and theirs, speak!"

-

Storybrooke, Maine

Helena wakes with a start, if she'd needed to breathe she would have been gasping for air. She looks around the station wildly, the deputy is missing but she hears him speaking to the sheriff outside the station, she notes that the sun is still up, there would be no danger, yet. The tendrils of fear still echo in her chest, trying to claw its way up her throat, she wants to scream, to rage but she's been struck silent by this world and so she curls into a fetal position and she cries, silent sobs wracking her petite frame. She feels helpless, useless, a simple request yet it is one she's unable to fulfill. How is she supposed to break a curse she knows nothing about? How is she supposed to regain the ability to speak? She needs answers to questions that she can't ask, even if she could, where would she even start?

The soft hey sends her scrambling up, wiping furiously at her tears, "Night- er- Day... Terrors?" Helena hesitates before nodding, back in the day- back when she could still speak, she wouldn't hesitate to tell Quinn anything but now, now she isn't sure if she can or should trust _this_ Quinn. There's a tug in her chest as she looks at Quinn, this thing that wears her love's face, speaks with her love's voice, looks at her with her love's eyes albeit devoid of any affection save for the occasional flash of lust. Her tears come faster, she sniffles, she needs _her_ Quinn, _her_ love to wrap her arms around her and whisper sweet reassurances. She sits on her cot and pulls her knees to her chest as she sobs silently, rocking herself, her forehead resting on her knees, her tears drenching her long skirt.

Quinn clenches her jaw against the sudden, painful squeezing in her chest, she wants to call out to the woman, to rush over to her side, maybe hold her, maybe soothe whatever pains her. She paces restlessly, rubbing the back of her neck, she stops pacing just long enough to tug on the cell door, as expected, it doesn't give, not even the bars. She starts pacing again and then Quinn stops and turns to Helena, words, yes, words would have to do, for now.

"So, a rabbi, a priest and a pastor walk into a tavern..." Quinn gives Helena a small smile when she sees those Hazel eyes peeking, looking at Quinn, she tilts her head and arches a brow, curious as to what inane joke _this_ Quinn had for her, Quinn chuckles, "Right, you're waiting for the funny part... I don't really have a joke, I just wanted to get your attention. I'm Quinn by the way, and you must be...?" Helena smirks and turns away, resting her chin on her knees, thankfully the tears have stopped.

"Right then, the cold shoulder, I can deal with the cold shoulder. Still, I've set out to know a fair maiden's name and I shan't fail this quest. So, you're pretty, brunette, beautiful, Hazel eyes, hmn, Ashley, Britney and Macy are out, I take it?" Helena rolls her eyes and smirks, she hears Quinn shuffling over to the bars that separate them. "Alright then, let's try months and then let's move on to seasons." Helena bites her lips to stave off the small smile as Quinn recites the months, Quinn's effort is sweet, it almost reminds Helena of _her_ Quinn.

"Winter? Spring? Summer? Fall? Hold on now, even I wouldn't name my child Fall, as quare as I am. Could you imagine that? Looking for your daughter in a crowded market, yelling 'Fall!' Over and over." Helena turns her head towards Quinn, resting her cheek on her knees, she smiles, albeit small and shy, no longer denying Quinn her attention, Quinn's attempts were far from charming but her efforts were greatly appreciated. "Autumn, then? No? Ah! She turns to me with the most timid of smiles yet, it sets my unbeating heart aflutter, igniting a fiery passion in my soul. Oh! Be still, my undead heart."

Helena chuckles silently, she has to admit that perhaps _her_ Quinn was still in there somewhere. She arches her brow when Quinn snaps her fingers, a bright smile on her face, somehow the fangs fit perfectly with her face. "I have it! You're name is Brunhilde and your were teased mercilessly as a child and if that wasn't bad enough, you're Dad - who so desperately wanted a boy - started calling you Bruno, in public. Am I getting warmer? Colder?"

Helena rolls her eyes as she laughs silently, she gets up and closes the short distance between her and Quinn, grabbing Quinn's hand without hesitation, she turns the hand palm-up. Her smile falters as she slowly traces the lines of the other woman's calloused palm, it's been so long since she was able to touch her love, she wants to kiss her, hold her close and never let go, Gods, this hurt, so much. She's close enough to take in Quinn's scent, it's the same scent, like a cool, fresh, spring morning after the rain but tainted with death, she closes her eyes and savors the scent as she takes it in, not wanting to forget, never wanting to be without it ever again.

A tear falls on Quinn's palm, her heart seizes again as she brings her free hand up to Helena's wet cheek. She clenches her teeth against the ache and the sudden confusion, this feels so familiar, everything about this woman seems so familiar, so warm, so comforting, like home. She runs her thumb along the woman's cheek, wiping tears away as she went, her thumb moves down, touching Helena's bottom lip gently. Quinn feels another, albeit different, tug, she recognizes the want, a low burning want in her stomach. The lips feels chapped, dry under her thumb, she smirks, Helena had not fed for a day or two. Her brows furrow because suddenly, the wanting is replaced with something deeper, more emotional, a kind of caring, perhaps concern for this woman who seems strange yet so familiar.

Helena closes her eyes and leans closer to the hand, at this moment, she can pretend that this was _her_ Quinn touching her, reassuring her but she didn't wallow, she needs _her_ Quinn back, so she straightens her spine and strengthens her resolve, she needs Quinn to remember, speech or no, she will make Quinn remember everything.

Helena pulls away from the cool, comforting hand on her cheek. Wiping her tears and giving Quinn a watery smile, she starts spelling out words on the other woman's palm rapidly in cursive. Quinn scrunches her face, looking at her, confused, "Alright, I have... Squiggle line and then more squiggle lines with circles, what?"  Helena shakes her head, she sighs silently as she realizes that _this_ Quinn might as well be _her_ Quinn, what with the daftness and all.

She tries again, using print, had Quinn been anyone else, she wouldn't be assed to sacrifice her elegance and poise, she finishes spelling out the words, she pauses and waits as Quinn smiles at her. "Helena, a name as beautiful  as the damsel that bears it. I am Quinn and I am humbled to be in the presence of such radiant beauty, surely the Gods will find it fitting to strike me down for laying eyes on the most beautiful of all their creations."

Quinn gently takes her hand kisses her knuckles, Helena scoffs silently and rolls her eyes. "Too much?" She asks, lips brushing against Helena's skin as she spoke. Helena nods but turns her hand and runs her thumb along Quinn's bottom lip, the woman smiles wider, flicking her tongue at the thumb, teasingly. Helena slowly pulls her hand away, her mood genuinely and instantaneously improving just as David makes his way towards them holding two blood packs, one in each hand. "Meal time! Sorry, it took a while, the budget didn't really prepare us for this." He says mostly to Helena, she doesn't fault him for this however, considering Quinn had attacked his sheriff.

Helena takes her pack, watching Quinn from the corner of her eye as David hands the woman her own pack. Quinn takes a quick step forward causing David to stumble back a few steps, "The lady needs a proper glass, hireling." She hears Quinn say, David looks towards her general direction, she taps a bar and Quinn turns towards her, her eye brow raised as if to say 'What's the magic word?' Quinn scowls and turns to David, "Please... Fetch the lady a proper glass... Deputy." She says through grit teeth. "You work fast." He says to Helena in passing, grinning as he hands her a mug, it's a police station, so really, she doesn't expect much, she will have to make do.

She watches Quinn tear into her pack, as she takes small sips from her mug, she realizes that Quinn hadn't changed much if at all. Perhaps _this_ Quinn is _her_ Quinn, she muses, Quinn looks up from her pack, grinning toothily at her, she sees the blood coating the woman's teeth before Quinn starts tearing into her pack again, she raises her mug and takes a sip. Yes, perhaps this is _her_ Quinn after all, albeit a darker more violent version, she mulls over this realization, unsure of how to feel, however, she's aware that the within her heart, a tiny spark of hope comes alive.

-

Hector sits on the musty old couch of the warehouse's office, he rubs the back of his neck, rolling it, stretching his neck muscles, honestly, he was getting too old for this shit. "Ah, there you are Hector." Calleigh says as she waltzes in and sits on the desk, crossing her legs. "I should have known you'd be up here, this is so your element, don't you agree? Dry, old and dusty... Barely functional. So? Where is she?" The dark haired man hums before answering, buying his time, Calleigh is possibly psychopathic and with her brother gone Hector can't tell how she would react to any more bad news.

"Hector, I do not like to be kept waiting." The cold edge in her calm tone makes his skin crawl. "The familiars saw the Sheriff at the station," The blonde smirks, "Oh? How unusual." She drawls out under her breath. Hector sighs in irritation, "Let me finish! They saw her, she had two blood packs with her, she gave both to her deputy." She arches her brow, waiting for him to finish but he remains quiet so she sighs, "Are you like this in bed, Hector? Slow build-up with no results? It's a wonder why your playthings don't stray but perhaps you force them to stay, hmn?"

Hector clenches his jaw and grips his own knuckles, forcing his anger down, he chooses not to respond. He remains quiet as she slides off of the desk and walks towards the door, she pauses and turns to him, "Her signature stops at the station, get her out, get her here, resume the search for Sean." Hector nods quickly, wanting to get the woman out of his hair as fast as possible. "I feel like having a bit of fun tonight." She says as she smiles toothily, licking her sharp canines as she saunters out of the office, the clicking of her heels against the steel walkway echoing through the warehouse.

He fights the urge to hit something, instead he gets-up and opens the old safe at the back of the office, taking out a bundle of cash. He huffs as he counts it, bailing Quinn out would be the easy part, getting her away from whatever drew her there, now that, that would be a challenge.

-

Calleigh looks around the warehouse, save for their things, a few familiars and Hector's lackeys, the place is near empty. Things would change soon, Magnus would arrive and then the warehouse would be filled to the brim with their kind, she realizes that they may need a new place to stay once it got too crowded but still, she smiles at the thought.

She makes her way to her preferred vehicle, guns the engine and drives off, deciding to circle the town once, looking for any excitement. She scoffs at the thought, small towns and excitement don't go together. Oh, but that delicious wolf at the diner would make such a fun plaything and she smells absolutely delicious, Calleigh grins at the thought. Sean and her would have such a grand time toying with the wolf, her grin fades as her thoughts drift to her missing brother, the wolf will have to wait, she thinks, right now, she would have to focus in finding her brother and since no one in this quaint little town is cooperating, she decides that she should go on her very own recon mission.

She drives by the town hall, she hears the women inside the building bickering, smells their scent and their power. Calleigh grins as she parks her car, she steps out and makes her way near the bright window. Ducking near the bushes and she sits listens as the women bicker, her grin widens at the very first sign of weakness, emotions, anger, lust, something warm - an affection, perhaps love- she wrinkles her nose at that, the need for vengeance -ah, yes, this, it was muted but she isn't picky. She could feed this fire, stoke it and make it grow and fester. She giggles as she stands in the darkness, watching, listening, controlling, oh, this would be so much fun.      

-

"Regina, we can't just leave them there." Emma huffs, one hand on her hip the other gesturing as she speaks. "Of course, you're right, I vote we burn the other one." The former mayor sneers, still miffed that Quinn had hurt Emma, not that she'd admit that. "I'm right- Wait, what? No!" Regina scoffs, her arms crossed over her chest, "Oh, don't worry, Sheriff, since I'm no longer the mayor and given my track record I think your mother would veto my vote. I dare say, I no longer have the right to vote for anything."

"That's not true, Regina-" Snow cut-in but Regina cuts her off. "Stop right there, we're not here to discuss that, mind on the mission, Snow. You're mayor now, after all." Snow remains silent after that, her mind slowly processing the events, "What about the one you killed, Regina? Ruby sent me a text earlier, she said someone was looking for a blonde man, his last known location was apparently here and then he dropped off of the radar."

Regina sighs, slightly dipping her head, of course the idiots would turn this around and make it her fault. Again. "And your point is?" Emma cringes as she realizes that Regina had become defensive, "Okay, I know how that sounded but believe me, that's not what I meant. I was just saying, maybe they're looking for him and-" Emma sighs and grimaces, she wasn't good with words at all so, she moves closer and touches the brunette's arm gently. Regina tries to move away but Emma bodily blocks her exit, "Hey, look at me." Having nowhere to move and with Emma this close -Not that she was complaining- she turns her head and meets Emma's eyes. "I'm not blaming you and honestly, better him than you, any day." The blonde's hands move by their own accord, rubbing Regina's arms, a comforting gesture.

Snow clears her throat after a bit, though the moment is broken, they don't pull apart, Regina needs the comfort and the assurance, Emma simply needs to make sure Regina is okay and whole and generally uninjured as the feelings of worry and fear from that night come creeping back. "So, what do we do?" Snow asks, her eyes darting from the brunette to the blonde, unsure of what to make of the new touchy-feely closeness the two seemed to have developed, she almost feels like she's intruding.

"And what about this Helena girl? From what Emma said, she's more than willing to help us." Regina sighs, her knuckles white from gripping the sides of her coat too tightly, it was almost as if she's fighting the urge to reach out and cling to Emma with the way she's leaning into Emma's touch. Emma shakes her head, still moving her hands up and down Regina's arm, slower but surer, "She was scared, I gathered that much, although I'm pretty sure she'll help out when the time comes. I'm not really sure what to make of the new addition though."

Regina hums, consciously relaxing her hands and batting Emma's hands away from her. "She may defect to our side, if we give the little witch enough time to work her magic." Emma mulls over the strategy but her thought process is interrupted as Snow's overly cheery voice breaks the silence "So, when did you and Emma get so close, Regina?" Regina and Emma turn to Snow, both seemingly incensed, Emma's "What?" is overlapped by Regina's "I beg your pardon?" Snow looks from one woman to the other as they both start speaking at the same time, both defensively, she just might get some form of neck injury after today, Snow thinks.

"Miss Swan, would you stop talking over me?" Regina huffs, hands on her hips. "Oh! So sorry your majesty, please, by all means, take the stage." Emma replies with a mocking curtsy accompanied by an even more mocking tone of voice. "Emma, that's not how princesses should curtsy!" Snow cut-in, genuinely aghast, she then stands and demonstrates the proper curtsy, back straight, chin held high.

Emma sighs as she fights the urge to face-palm, she then turns to Regina, "Can you even? Because I can't even." The blonde says, watching a look of disgust in the Queen's face, "No, I cannot," Before Emma could say or do anything Regina continues her rant "That's not a proper curtsy, not when your addressing the Queen." The blonde opens her mouth to cut-in but Snow gasps, looking utterly outraged "I am the rightful queen you... You usurper!" Snow finishes, arm fully extended, finger pointing right at Regina's face.

Emma moves her hands in a placating manner, "Okay, whoa-" Regina laughs mirthlessly, interrupting Emma's attempts at keeping the peace.

Face drawing to the a sneer, the former mayor moves into Snow's personal space, "And you were too cowardly to do anything about it, weren't you Princess?" the brunette hisses out the last word, Snow backs up a step. "Boo-Hoo, Regina killed my daddy." Regina says, mimicking Snow's whine as she jabs her finger onto Snow's chest. "Boo-hoo Regina's trying to kill me." Another taunt, another jab. "Well, you know what, princess? I deserved that throne, I sacrificed," She jabs again, "everything" Another jab, "to become Queen." Snow stumbles back a few more steps as Regina advances, "My life," A jab, "My love," Again, a jab, "And finally, my soul." She jabs again, by this time, Snow is trapped between the wall and the Evil Queen. "You do not have that kind of strength in you. You are a coward, striking out at your betters from the shadows because you cannot possibly fight me head-on and win. You're nothing, you can't even run the town how did you expect to run a kingdom?" Snow looks afraid but defiant, she wants to lash out but she doesn't, at the back of her mind she wonders why Regina isn't using magic.

Emma's frozen in place, she watches as Regina taunts her mother and it dawns on her, this is why the Evil Queen brought men to their knees, she's scary as hell but shit, she's fucking hot. Also, there's something hypnotizing about the way Regina saunters/stalks towards Snow and the way her voice drops into an almost purr when she speaks. A shiver runs up Emma's spine and it isn't the unpleasant kind at all.

The blonde jumps as her phone vibrates, she fishes the device out of her pocket and answers the call, "Hel-" She croaks out, she realizes belatedly that her throat had become dry, she swallows and clears her throat, "Hello?" It comes out as a whisper. "Hey Emma, someone came and bailed both of them out, right around sunset..." Emma frowns, "What? Who? Did they-" Emma picks-up the last sentence, "Face it Snow White, you will never be better than me, not as Queen, not as Mayor and especially not as a moth-" Then she hears the thwack.  

"Holy fuck, Snow just decked Regina!" Emma almost yells in surprise just as Regina stumbles back, "What? Emma I'm on my way! Try to stop them!" Just as she was about to respond, Regina bounces back and throws a punch of her own, hitting the advancing Snow on the cheek, the short-haired brunette stumbles back but trips on her own feet. Regina straddles her then but before she could rain the pain down on Snow's face Emma grabs her by the waist and starts trying to pull Regina off of her mother, "Stop! Regina, God dammit!"

Regina struggles and breaks away from Emma, crawling towards Snow, she reaches her but instead of punching, she tangles her fingers in the fallen woman's short hair and starts pulling. Snow snarls as she tries to fight off Regina, clawing at her hands, her neck, her face and ripping and tearing at her clothes. She keeps expecting Regina to use magic, to reach into her chest and rip her heart out but it doesn't come, Regina seems to be hell bent on beating her without magic.

Emma wraps her arm around Regina's waist again, and again she tries to pry the woman off of her mother, she realizes that she could simply throw Regina off with her magic but some skewed sense of honor stops her from doing exactly that. David arrives then, helping Emma with Regina and then helping Snow up, the father-daughter team struggle but succeed in pulling the women apart, Snow throws and succeeds in hitting Regina with a few cheap shots.

"Okay! Stop! Stop!" Emma shouts, still holding on to Regina, she does a quick once over taking note of the woman's injuries, split lip, probably a black eye in the morning, a few scratches here and there, not too bad, Emma decides. Still, she gently runs her fingers through Regina's hair, down Regina's shoulders, making her way to Regina's arms, down to her hands, instantly clasping Regina's hands when she reaches them.

Her eyes follow the path that her hands have taken and then they stop, because Regina's breasts and the lacey black and purple bra, that cut so low and fuck, Regina's gorgeous and Emma's mouth is suddenly dry, and God, she was in so much trouble because she wants to touch and taste and smell and be inside Regina.

David clears his throat and Emma suddenly pulls Regina's coat closed, covering her exposed body. "So..." He starts, Snow whimpers, Regina scowls but she's blushing and Emma stands there quietly, her cheeks also stained red, her breathing shallow. "So... I'm not going to ask because I'm afraid it's going to start something, again but..." Emma interrupts him, "Dad- David, that thing earlier at the station before this thing happened." David nods, as he holds Snow, his body partially shielding her. "Yeah, a man, tall, dark hair, kind of threatening, he had this weird accent, anyway he came in and bailed them out, I couldn't hold them any longer, Emma, we had no case."

Emma arches her brow, surprised that David knew about the laws of this world, "Hector, this guy called himself, he mentioned that, having no case, thing." She nods and she feels Regina touch her hands, she turns her attention to Regina, "Uh, yeah, must've been their lawyer or something." she mumbles absently. David, clearly unable to stand the awkwardness of the whole thing decides for everyone, "Em, take Regina home, I'll take care of Snow, we can all talk about this tomorrow, when everything's less... Tense." Emma nods, again, because boobs, _Yeah_ , Emma thinks, _Regina's boobs broke minds_. She gestures to the exit allowing Regina to go first, Regina arches a brow before walking towards the door, Emma following closely behind. David swears that he can hear Emma murmur, "Well, chivalry's not dead, your majesty."

-

The drive to 108 Mifflin street is quiet, slightly tense and very awkward, Emma tries to start a conversation several times before changing her mind, her brain, she thinks, is still on pause. They reach the house and Emma hops out walking Regina to the door. Regina pauses, her hand on the knob, she looks back to Emma, who smiles awkwardly at her. She licks the cut on her lip as she considers inviting Emma in, there's no denying the blatant want in Emma's eyes back at the office, Robin is, after all, still married, therefore she is still single. So Regina decides, she looks at Emma with hooded eyes, "A drink, Sheriff?"

Emma pauses and considers the offer for a second before nodding and making her way to Regina. The brunette opens the door and pulls Emma in, the blonde stumbles forward, grabbing onto Regina's hips to regain her balance, "Regina wha-" Regina cuts her off with a kiss on the corner of her lips, "One night Emma, we both need this." Emma gulps and leans forward to kiss Regina on the lips but the brunette turns away, "Those kisses are for Robin, everything else is fair game. My house, my rules." Regina whispers against Emma's shoulder.

The blonde tenses, she clenches her teeth and closes her eyes against the pain that blossoms in her chest, maybe it isn't Regina's words that hurt her, maybe she has some sort of weird heart disease that only hurts when Regina was with Robin or when Regina mentioned Robin, whatever, it's complicated, she thinks. Emma forces her body to relax, forces her mind to calm her heart and then she nods, she couldn't kiss Regina, not on the lips, that was act was of and for love and this, this isn't love, not now, probably not ever, well, not for Regina anyway.

The blonde lets the brunette pull her close, they make their way upstairs, tossing articles of clothing here and there, touching every bit of exposed skin, kissing everywhere but the lips, and finally, they make it to bed, the last thought in Emma's head before she lets the passion consume her is that the aftermath was going to hurt like a fucking bitch but she's sure as hell going to enjoy every bit of time and attention that she would be getting from Regina while it lasted, beggars couldn't be choosers, after all.  


	8. How to Make a Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry for the super late update. Life happened and a shit ton of well, shit happened along with it. So here it is, enjoy. R and R please and don't be gentle ;)
> 
> Also, what's a beta and what's a muse?

Calleigh is in a rage as she drives into the warehouse garage, she slams the car door, shattering the driver-side glass and rendering the door inoperable. "Hector!" She shrieks, sending most of the familiars and Hector's lackeys scrambling out of the warehouse. Hector whips around, his shock apparent in his face. "He's dead!" The blonde wails as she covers her face, her knees giving out from under her after only a few steps. He's beside her in a flash, catching her before her knees hit the concrete floor, "Oh, oh Sean... No." He mutters as he lowers both Calleigh and himself down on the floor, "I'll kill them all, Hector, I'll kill them all..." She sobs into his shirt, mascara stains ruining another one of his good shirts, but he doesn't mind it this time, he was grieving too. "Hush now, mija, it's alright, we'll get them, soon." Hector growls out knowing full well that the anger he's feeling is more hers than his.

Calleigh clings to Hector, sobs still wracking her thin frame, it eats at her that she has to wait for Magnus to come, maybe there was a point in waiting for him but not when the murderer was so close at hand. She thinks about Sean, thinks about how there would be no more cuddles when she had those strange dreams, no more Sean, no more love and then something in her mind snaps. Her sobs slow into little sniffles as she pushes herself up, fixing her hair, smoothing her dress. "I- I need to..." Hector simply nods as he remains seated on the floor, back bent, he had lost his best friend and she understands that, though his pain would allow him a small portion of patience, her pain, on the other hand, left no room for anything but the icy gap where love used to be.

She turns from Hector as she makes her way towards one of the bigger offices in the warehouse, she shuts the door and stands absolutely still, her hand still on the knob, "Sister..." She knows that voice, that voice that came from the darkness, she grins, "Brother..." She whispers in response, her grin growing wider as she turns around to embrace nothing, "Is it time for a scheme, brother?" Calleigh whispers to the darkness, "Yes." It replies and she grins even wider, her teeth gleaming.

-

The soft, annoying beep makes Emma groan, she turns to her side and tries to feel around for the alarm, a second later she's on the floor, a robe-clad Regina tossing her clothes at her, speaking rapidly. "I just woke up, slow the fuck down." the blonde hisses and Regina pauses to help Emma up, "It's morning, get dressed and get out, Henry will be awake and Robin will be here soon." Emma starts pulling her pants on, jumping about to try and get the tight jeans on faster. "This shouldn't have happened, Emma." the brunette hisses as she start pushing Emma towards her window.

Emma's breath hitches and she swallows the lump that's formed in her throat, she takes in Regina's just-woken-up look, she has no make-up on and she still has bed head but she's still so god damn beautiful. The blonde takes a deep breath as the clenching in her chest starts, she tries to smile but it's probably more of a grimace, her eyes dart to Regina's lips, what she wouldn't give for one kiss, all she had to do was lean in.

Instead she sighs, turning around and opening the window, she gets one leg through before Regina pulls her back in, kissing the corner of her mouth. "Next time, don't pass out." Regina murmurs against her skin, she lets out a bark of relieved laughter as the vice grip on her heart loosens, the blonde then nods, kissing Regina on the cheek before slipping out the window just as the doorbell chimes.

Regina makes her way to Henry's room, she smiles softly at her sleeping boy, observing his features as she quietly makes her way to his bed. She sits on his bed, brushing errant strands of hair from his forehead and running her thumb along his chin - Emma's chin - she thinks as her smile widens at the thought. She kisses him on the forehead, "Henry." She says softly, gently rousing him from sleep. He whines and mumbles "Five more minutes, mom." Regina chuckles softly, Emma had mumbled the same thing earlier, he's growing up to be so much like his blonde mother.

She sighs softly as, once again, her thoughts drift to Emma, her mind's been doing that frequently as of late, and last night, she hums, making her way out of Henry's room, last night was just utterly delicious, she thinks as her lips form into a small, satisfied grin, she wouldn't be opposed to doing it again, if Emma was willing, she has a feeling that Emma would be more than willing to do a repeat performance of last night and her feelings were rarely ever wrong.

She makes her way downstairs slowly, she did not rush, Robin would wait obediently, like a small, well-trained dog. She tightens the tie around her waist, runs her fingers through her hair and opens the door, she smiles as she greets Robin, giving him a quick peck on the lips and a hug. Over his shoulder, she sees Emma limping passed her drive way - of course she fell - Regina smirks as she arches her brow, a silent question about the blonde's well-being. Emma smiles sheepishly, giving Regina a thumbs up as she limps by, the brunette nods and pulls Robin inside. She doesn't see it when Emma's smile drops and when her hand quickly makes its way to the middle of her chest, rubbing the area as she limps off.

-

The blonde makes her way to Granny's, her ankle's still a little sore and her heart feels like someone shot an arrow through it, she chuckles mirthlessly at that, an arrow, right. She doesn't feel like being everyone's savior today and she'd have thank David for taking the morning shift but that's all for later, now, well, now-  "Swan!" she sighs, her planning for 'Emma's Pity Party Day' interrupted when she spots Killian jogging towards her, she's totally not in the mood for his stalker-puppy-dog- bullshit right now.

"I'm kind of busy, Killian." He scoffs and walks along side her, "Not too busy for me, love." She breathes through her clenched teeth and limps faster, "What do you want?" Hook grins, "I don't have a patrol partner," Emma grunts, a few more steps to Granny's and she can ditch Hook, "And it occurred to me, Swan probably doesn't have a partner either, so-" The blonde huffs and limps her way up the steps grabbing hold of the handle, she turns to Hook, her brow wrinkled in a slight frown. "No." She says simply as she walks into Granny's.

Hook's shoulders slump as he sighs and walks away, his beautiful Swan was definitely not in the mood, pushing her would work against him, he's sure of it. He makes his way to the Rabbit Hole, his flask is long overdue for a refill, he thinks as he gives it a small shake. He'll try another day, he says to himself as he enters the bar. He takes out his flask and opens his mouth to ask for a re-fill but then he's being pulled and slammed onto the bar by a very feminine hand. "Oh happy day," Calleigh purrs, "I've caught something... Big..." She grabs Hook's crotch for emphasis, "Today."

Hook groans at the contact, it's not his fault, really, it's just been that long. "Maybe it's me who's lucky, love." He grins as his eyes drift to her hand, he thinks of Emma but Calleigh moves her hand, rubbing his crotch, he groans and bucks and all thoughts of Emma instantly fly out of his mind. "Do something for me, darling." She grins, her fangs glistening in the low light of the bar. Hook panics, fear sending shivers up his spine, he struggles but the platinum blonde is too strong, thinking fast, he tries to stab her with his hook but she catches his arm just as he lifts it, pushing it down effectively pinning it on the bar. She quickly grabs the hook and gives it a twist, she then brings the disengaged hook down his other arm, catching him on the sleeve impaling the material through the bar-top. "My, my what big teeth you have." She whispers, mocking him as she laughs. "Once again darling, I need you to stop struggling and say Ah." Hook struggles against her hold, kicking and growling, she brings the tip of her finger to the sharp point of her canine, pricking her finger and pressing her thumb against the pad of said finger, drawing the blood out. He yells out as she brings her injured finger over his mouth and lets the droplet of blood fall into his mouth.

She lets him go then as he gags, the bitter taste of something dead overshadowing the metallic taste that's spreading on his tongue. He feels the bit of blood slide down his throat, he feels his body absorb the substance and then his stomach cramps up. He spasms and thrashes about as he hangs by his trapped arm, "What did you do?!" he says between heaves. She rips the hook from the bar-top and lets him fall to the floor with a loud thud, the blonde mutters something but Hook's too dizzy and his senses too muffled for him to understand anything. He passes out, face-down on the floor, and the last thing he hears is her mirthless laughter as she walks over and away from his prone form.

-

Quinn sits on a moldy high back chair, her head cradled in her hands, Sean is dead, Hector is reeling from grief and Calleigh had taken off only minutes after her break down. She huffs as she leans into the cushioned back of the chair her eyes drifting to where Helena rests, without her brother, Calleigh would be out of control and without Calleigh, the initial phase of Magnus' plan would fall apart. She chuckles at the thought of Magnus losing to a small town of witches, the look on his face would be priceless and it would all be so funny if she ignores the fact that they would all die in the process, the fire-wielding brunette would be the one personally melting her face, she was sure of this. 

Helena stirs at the distinct feeling of someone watching her, she scrambles to a standing position and puts her hand up, palm facing forward. The sound of soft static and the scent of burning ozone fills Quinn's nostrils as she notices Helena's glassy eyes, for a moment time stands still, "Uh, hi?" the taller brunette says before the cushion beside her head explodes. She mutters a quiet "Fuck." before lunging forward grabbing Helena's arm and aiming towards the ceiling, "Helena!" she yells out as the shorter girl bites the side of her neck, drawing blood.

She shoves Helena away, clutching the gash on the side of her neck, her stance defensive, her free hand out stretched, ready to defend herself, unless, she thinks, unless Helena would make her hand explode too, well, shit. "Helena it's me! It's Quinn, calm down!" Helena blinks once, twice before she shakes off her daze and rushes towards Quinn, prying her hand away from the gash on her neck. Her lips form a thin line at the deep gash, sighing she brings a finger to her neck and makes a cut just above her collar bone, she allows the cut to bleed as she tilts her head back, offering her version of an apology.

Quinn smirks and pulls Helena close wrapping an arm around her waist as she nuzzles the shorter woman's neck, taking in the woman's scent, vanilla and coconuts, Quinn notes before kissing and nibbling her way down Helena's neck, she pauses just above the cut feeling Helena grip the sleeves of her coat just above the elbows, bracing herself for a heady mix of pleasure and pain.

Quinn softly laps at the cut, the initial sweetness mixed with its natural metallic tang. The woman tastes like fine wine and something that's distinctly her, she thinks as she grins when she feels the shorter brunette relax in her arms. She goes about it slowly at first, forcing herself to be gentle as she wraps her other arm around Helena, her hand resting on the back of Helena's head, pulling her closer as she starts suckling on the cut. Quinn's eyes widen for a fraction before slamming shut as the magic hits her system like a Mac truck, racing through her veins and slamming into her brain, she feels the heat blossoming then, gradually spreading from her stomach to her pelvis. Her hand makes its way under Helena's peasant top and onto the small of her back, thumbnail gently scraping the soft skin just above the waistband of the skirt as she begins to feed in earnest.     

 Helena's eyes drift close, her hands making their way inside the coat, briefly gripping the front of Quinn's shirt as she draws the blood out.  Exploring further along Quinn's shoulders, occasionally gripping the material of the taller woman's shirt at each nip and forceful suckle, finally weaving themselves into Quinn's soft, raven tresses, pulling her closer, urging her to take more. Helena's eyes open just a fraction as she gasps when she feels Quinn's pelvis surge forward for the first time, almost completely breaking her concentration.

Her eyes remain half-open as she realizes that in the back of her mind everything she'd done since she woke was to lead to this. She bites her lower lip to stifle another gasp as Quinn lifts her leg, she instinctively hooks it around Quinn's hip at the same time the taller woman pulls her impossibly close. Blood magic, grandmother had said, is a powerful thing, you sacrifice a part of yourself in the process after all, creating a link so you can control- Helena's eyes shoot open, she then tries to struggle against Quinn's hold, Gods, what is she doing? What was she thinking? Well, she wasn't and still isn't thinking at all and-

All Helena's though processes skid to a halt as Quinn complete lifts her off of the floor, she wraps both legs securely around Quinn's hips, her arms holding Quinn tighter as she throws her head back, her back arching and her center pushing against Quinn's taut stomach. Her nails are scraping against Quinn's scalp while her other hand is clawing across Quinn's back. She grunts and gasps, Gods if only Quinn would unlatch from the cut and just bite and with the friction on her center it would be enough to push her over, there's a split second of confusion when Quinn does let go of the cut, for a second they just look at each other, Quinn's blue eyes meeting her half-lidded, possibly wanton gaze, _bite me_ , she says in her mind, Quinn growls and bites the side of neck.

Her eyes roll to the back of her head and oh, oh Gods, she's coming, just from this, her mouth opens in a silent scream as her back arches, pressing her front against Quinn's, her center moving against Quinn rapidly. Quinn moans into her neck and then the connection fully opens and she can taste what Quinn is tasting, the feeding is no longer slow it's become demanding, she feels a slight frenzy that isn't her own and then they're moving together, against each other but still, their movements seem to synchronize and Helena comes again, scratching up and across Quinn's back, her other hand a tight fist in Quinn's hair, she's pretty sure that if hadn't been mute she would be screaming Quinn's name over and over.

Quinn stiffens and releases a low groan against Helena's neck, she backs up a few steps, her back hitting the metal desk at the back of the room. She leans heavily against it, her arms still wrapped around Helena as they slump into each other, she's vaguely aware of what just happened, the aftershocks aren't just her own, "What just happened?" she croaks. Helena simply shrugs, there is no undoing what she's done, she knows that she will be paying a great price for this one slip, once Quinn finds out she'll never be able to trust Helena again, her heart clenches at the thought, a slither of emotion passes through, Quinn twitches, mutters a soft "Ouch, what was that?" and Helena chokes back a sob.


	9. Turning Saints Into The Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9! Enjoy. don't forget to R and R.

Marian wanders the wooded area near the camp, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she finds comfort in the smell of pine and damp ground. It takes her back to somewhere familiar, a safe place before everything went to hell. She continues to wander around, bending over to take a closer look at some possibly edible mushrooms, picking berries, gathering fire wood and what not. She pauses when she hears a child giggle, she spins around looking for the logical source, Roland but Roland wasn't with her, he was with Robin supposedly picking-up supplies in town.  

Another giggle and she makes a complete three-sixty degree turn, there, she thinks, she finally spots him but he's running off, away from the camp, "Roland, stop!" She breaks into a sprint following flashes of her son's flannel coat and the echoes of his giggling. Marian doesn't know how far or how long she's been chasing her son but as she nears the stables she hears the tell tale sound of a child's delighted squealing followed by a man's laughter. She skids to a halt and hides behind a tree, she takes a peak and what she sees causes her heartbeat to falter, figuratively.

There! Her husband atop a brown steed gazing lovingly at their son and the Evil Queen riding together on a trotting, black steed. Her vision blurs as she tries to forcibly swallow the lump rapidly forming in her throat, her hand flying to her mouth muffling the choked sob that escapes from her lips, Marian takes a deep, shaky breath before finding the strength to push off of the tree and run, when she'll stop she doesn't know, she just finds the need to run until her lungs burn and her heart gives out.

And so Marian runs blindly through the woods, weaving between trees, jumping over stumps, her lungs burn, her heart beats faster but she does not stop, she will not stop, not until the physical pain purges the image from her mind and heart. It takes a moment for her to notice the dark blur that crosses her path, she stops running then, her heart's thudding deafening in the strange silence of the woods.

She spins around when she hears the faint thudding behind her, her eyes narrow as she focuses them to quickly spot the animal that's been stalking her, she even braces herself, ready to defend against any attack be it beast or human. The thudding stops abruptly and she strains to hear any sign of it, a few seconds pass and she relaxes for a fraction, the rising sense of dread from earlier slowly dissipating and then she hears it, the soft thud of something landing right behind her, she feels the blast of hot breath on the back of her head and she barely has time to turn around before everything goes black.

-

Henry's setting the table when the frantic knocks almost rattle their heavy door, he turns and peeks when he hears Robin's panicked tone, something about his wife being missing, he sees the bloody, tattered pieces of cloth in the thief's shaking hands. He sets the plates down on the table as his mom makes her way to the dining room, "Is... Is Marian dead?" he whispers, lowering himself slowly on the nearest chair. "I don't know." She says quietly, retrieving her mobile from a nearby table, her thumb moves quickly on the screen, Henry watches her, she's almost as frantic as Robin, though she shouldn't be, Henry thinks. "Did... Was it... Did you...?" his voice breaks as he blinks a few times, willing the tears not to fall, he'd just gotten his mom back, their relationship was finally getting better, she couldn't have done this, he lowers and shakes his head, willing the doubts away.

Regina's able to tap the 'send' button just as Henry asks his question, she pauses, her jaw clenches as she quickly suppresses the hurt she feels. She slips the device in her pocket as she quickly makes her way to her son, she crouches down, so they're at eye-level, and lifts his chin. "Sweetheart, do you really believe that?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. He takes a deep breath before shaking his head once again, "No, it's just that... You hate her, you had her killed before, when you were evil." She sighs and tries to smile through the guilt of her past and the hurt of her son's distrust, "Oh Henry, where did you hear that?" He hesitates, torn between lying and telling the truth, "I heard Emma and Grams talking about it..." Regina barely suppresses the eye-twitch, "Well then, I'll need to have a long talk with Miss Swan and Snow White about what topics are age appropriate when minors are around the first chance I get." She takes a calming breath before she continues, cutting off his whine. "Henry listen to me, no matter what anyone says about me, about the past, I want you to remember that I am no longer that person, alright?" He nods, "And I promise you that I had nothing to do with Marian's disappearance, in fact, I've called the Sheriff to report the incident." He nods again, finally looking her in the eye, she's relieved to find that all traces of doubt and distrust are gone. "Now, finish setting the table, Roland will be having his dinner here and I need to attend to Robin." Regina gracefully rises to her feet, she leans down and gives him a kiss on the forehead before turning to leave the room, "Hey mom?" She pauses at the threshold, her hand resting on the frame and she turns towards him, "Do you love him?" He asks, she smiles at the curious question, she doesn't even pause to consider lying to Henry about it, "I don't know, perhaps one day I might." Henry smirks his all knowing smirk before going back to setting the table.

-

 Emma rings the doorbell of the mansion, rubbing her hands together and worrying her bottom lip to give it some color, it wasn't because she was nervous that man was there, nope, it wasn't that, at all. Besides, it's not like Regina's married to the guy, right? Just because small particles of reflective dust told them they were soulmates doesn't mean- Emma curses under her breath, interrupting her train of thought, reminding herself about that one little fact made her chest clench and her throat hurt, she really needed to see someone about that, it could be a clear sign to lay-off the cheeseburgers for a while.

The door opens and her breath hitches and she just stares with her mouth agape, because Regina was there, dressed in tight jeans and a shirt, wait, Emma thinks, was that her shirt? "Sheriff Swan, please, come inside." Regina says in her mayoral voice, it was meant to be a command despite the phrasing and god help her but she finds it irresistible, jeez, she was turning into Graham 2.0. "Hey, I got here as soon as I could, how is he?" The blonde croaks out, trying to convey some form of empathy as she follows Regina in, her eyes drift down the brunette's backside, giving it a low, appreciative whistle, she really couldn't help it, "Sheriff, you're here on official business, I suggest you act like it." The brunette hisses under her breath before opening the door to her study revealing a very distraught Robin.

Regina is at his side in an instant, one hand holding onto his clasped ones and the other rubbing his back, Emma grimaces as the clenching in her chest tightens just a little bit more but she was there as the sheriff so, she soldiers on. "Hey Robin, how are you holding up?" He looks up at her from his slumped position on the couch and with that sad, broken look that seems to come naturally for him, "Not very well, Sheriff, Marian's disappeared, again. My men and I tracked her near the edge of the wood but it ends there, I found that." A shaky hand reaches out to the coffee table, gently touching, no, reverently caressing the zip lock that contained a torn piece of bloody cloth. "I fear-" He chokes back a sob, shaking as he continues, "I fear that she's lost to us again."

The Sheriff doesn't spare the former mayor a look, she didn't want to see the pain in Regina's expressive eyes and maybe she didn't want Regina the see the same pain reflected back, because God dammit, Regina deserves better that this. "Okay, I'm going to need you to start from the beginning. Start from this morning to when you found the piece of cloth." He takes a moment to look at Regina, a silent question passes between them and then Regina simply nods, as if giving him permission. "Alright, Roland and I left camp at around 7 in the morning, we came here to have breakfast with Regina and Henry," He pauses, looking guilty but pained at the same time. Something blooms in Emma's chest, radiating from the middle moving outwards, she recognizes the feeling as something akin to jealous rage, it mingles with the painful clenching and it takes a conscious effort for Emma not to throttle the guy.

Emma's jaw muscles twitch and she shifts on the seat, silently counting backwards from ten, she intertwines her fingers, locking her hands together to keep them in check, "We went to get fresh supplies at half past 9. I took Roland to play at the park after that, David was there. We went to the diner at around noon to pick-up our lunch and then we went home." He takes a deep breath, rubbing his face with his hands, "And when we got there, the men were frantic, they couldn't find her. They said they'd looked everywhere, they took me to the place where her trail ended and I found this... Snagged on some branches, right above my head, sheriff." He says quietly, looking baffled and devastated at the same time while gripping the zip lock bag with both hands.

"Please, please find her, Regina says that you excel in that, in finding people. And I- I don't know what to do, I feel so helpless." Emma nods, her jaw still clamped shut, because while she was going to have to go and find his wife, he was going to be staying with Regina, playing house, fuck. She attempts a sympathetic smile but it comes out as a cross between a grimace and a squint. "I'll find her." She says at last, though it comes out a bit tight. She takes the zip lock from his hands as she stands and together Regina and Robin see her out, because why the fuck not, something in her chest seizes as she looks back, they'd make a perfect couple, they even look like a perfect couple, if Robin wasn't such a spineless- "Sheriff?"

"Yeah?" She manages to squeak the word out, passed the lump in her throat. "What would you do? If it was the love of your life who'd gone missing?" His question, the one that came from the far left of the field, threw her off. "What?" She asks, not really seeing the point. "You're the Saviour, everyone admires you, you're strong, what would you do?" She blinks a few times, her mouth opens and shuts and then she looks directly at Regina's curious gaze. "Everything in my power to find her and I will always, always find her." She says before she can stop herself, she's vaguely aware that she's mimicked her father's words but she didn't really care because at that moment, Regina's gaze softens and a small sad smile appears on her face, but it was like no one else existed, just them.

Emma's breath hitches as she walks away from the mansion, she doesn't look back because she can't, because even if she will always find Regina, Regina will always find Robin, right? Right. So she walks away with her head held high and her spine straight as a rod, because she's literally become Graham 2.0 minus penis, plus heart, nothing more, fuck her life.

-

"I think I found something!" David bellows from somewhere in the woods, Emma makes her way through the trees and towards her father, they need to hurry, she thinks, the sun's almost set. "What is it?" She yells back, though they're both perfectly aware that they both had serviceable walkies. "Not a dead body!" His yells sound closer, Emma shakes her head and uses her walkie, "Okay good, I'm almost there." He chuckles in response because this could very well be their father-daughter thing, considering how so much alike they are with the yelling and the woods and carrying swords, and, yeah, swords.

Emma stops just behind David, "So, I found animal tracks." He says, puffing his chest out proudly. "Like... A deer, maybe?" David scoffs at her, "What? No, like a really big claw, of something that is definitely not a wildcat." Emma frowns and stares at the tracks. "Right, so it's big and not a wildcat, also this is where it gets weird, two sets of claws, not four, just two and they stop, completely disappear and then reappear in a different area." Emma narrows her eyes, "Dad?" He snaps out of his monologue then, "Oh, right, yeah, whatever was here with Marian is huge, walks on two legs and can probably..." He pauses, not sure how to interpret the movement pattern. "Teleport?" Emma supplies, he chuckles and then sobers up quickly, "Honestly? I'm not sure and without light there's not much else to see." She nods and takes one last look at the scene before nodding in agreement, "Yeah, you're right, let's go, I'm starved."

-

"How goes the hunt, mutt?" Hector shrugs casually, "Oh, you know, a stray maiden here and there." He tucks his shirt inside his pants as he turns around to face Calleigh, "And you? How goes your hunt?" She smiles slowly, like a cat that's licked the very last drop of cream, "I've caught a fish, a rather significant fish, might I add." Hector grins approvingly, he gently pats her shoulder before walking out of the office with the platinum blonde in tow. "I see you kept your catch, food or commodity?" She says, an amused lilt apparent in her voice, "Ah yes, the stray maiden," He says sparing a passed-out Marian a short glance, she's chained to the wall, her mouth duct taped shut, "Commodity, you know what that means, dear Calleigh." She hums behind him as he shuts the door and locks it. "Ah, but that doesn't mean that I can't play with her, now does it?" He shrugs, "You know the rules, don't damage the merchandise."

From above them, Helena's eyes widen, she quickly but quietly makes her way back inside the upstairs office, _"We need to go."_ Quinn grimaces as she rubs her forehead, "Tone it down, you're practically screeching in my head." Helena worries her bottom lip, _"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry about all of this but we need to go, warn the town, tell them that that woman is here."_ Quinn scowls but chooses to keep her voice low, "Are you delusional? I'm on their side, not yours or your precious little pets'." Now it's Helena's turn to rub her forehead with the tips of her fingers, _"Fine but help me get out of here so I can warn them, please."_ Quinn looks at her incredulously. Helena huffs silently, her eyes conveying her frustration and then she decides to just go, run out of here as fast as she can, she just doesn't count on Quinn being faster than her and the little glimmer of hope she had earlier about her Quinn being in there dies as Quinn catches her and knocks her out as gently as she possibly can, which meant blindsiding Helena really, really hard, to make it quick.

Calleigh's face visibly brightens at the sight of the raven haired girl carrying a knocked-out brunette in her arms. "There's my favorite girl, tell me, how was small town prison? Did you drop the soap?" The blonde gasps delightedly, "Did she drop the soap? I can smell both of your from here, you know. Wait, no, she's a gift, for me? A new play thing? Oh how sweet of you my dear Quinn." Quinn growls, baring her fangs at the blonde, a clear warning for Calleigh to stay away from the small brunette, Hector smirks and unlocks the door to the office where Marian's currently being detained, a second later both Quinn and Hector disappear inside.

"Two warriors, an archer, a wolf, and a crazy old woman with a crossbow and two witches are what's left of the town's defenses, they still trust me." Calleigh positively beams at the news, "And who killed my brother?" the voice sounds pained and the shuffling of his feet is uneven, the blonde can tell that he's favoring one side, the Rot had settled just fine. "I don't know yet, I haven't exactly been around any of the witches." Calleigh hums and tilts her head to the side, "Alright well, thank you, you may go." He scowls at her, "You said you'd fix this, fix me!" She nods, still smiling, she's taking the most sadistic pleasure in this little exchange, "Well, I said that I would fix you if and only if you get information about something that is of great importance to me." She pauses for effect, "Their defenses mean very little to me right now, find the one who killed my brother and I'll fix you right proper." The man growls and lunges for her, she easily side steps his clumsy attempts and pulls his head back via his hair, "Really now, pirate? Will your lady love every be attracted to someone who's as ungrateful as you are, hmn?" He struggles but stops as he feels something give, she lets go almost instantly and then she giggles. He gingerly touches the back of his head where the chunk of flesh is missing, or rather, a chunk of flesh along with his hair is hanging by his scalp on the back of his head, funny, he felt no pain. "Fuck you, you bloody accursed wench!" He screams as he stalks out of the warehouse, there's a soft sound of something wet hitting the floor and her giggles become peels of delighted laughter, "Oh... Oh, dear pirate, you might have dropped something of yours!" She yells after him, still laughing her melodic laugh.

tbc


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update, I've had a hectic few months cause graduation! :D

"It's almost time..."

"...Magnus will make it."

"...I don't trust this..."

"Quiet!..."

"We could die..."

"...Powerful witches..."

Quinn keeps her eyes closed as she lay on the old, moldy couch quietly listening to the whispered conversations outside the office. She cracks one eye open to look at Marian, no longer passed out but quietly weeping, perhaps in fear? Definitely fear, she can smell it, the woman might as well be leaking fear. Quinn shifts and turns her head to look at Helena, chained to the wall but still glaring at her, she's been quiet, not struggling against her chains, not even speaking in Quinn's mind, it was a welcome albeit uncomfortable silence, okay, so it was awkward, she can feel the variety of emotions rolling off of Helena in waves and what scares her is that she finds herself wanting to soothe the chained woman.

She sits up and turns to Helena, rubbing the back of her neck she thinks of what to say but she gives up and stands up, "I'm going out." She says out loud to no one in particular, turning around she moves to leave only to be stopped by the sudden pain lancing through her skull, _"Feed and water the human or she'll waste away and die."_ She bites back a curse as she clutches her head with one hand and the other gripping the arm of the couch for support, she very nearly doubles over from the unexpected invasion of her mind. "How about you get the fuck out of my head?" She growls out in anger. Helena's chains clink about and Quinn hears the quiet sigh, _"Believe me, I would if I could but I need to be able to communicate with y- someone."_ Quinn slowly lowers herself to the couch while gently massaging her temples as she leans back, her eyes squeezed shut. "Why me? You could have done this to anyone." A flash of unfamiliar emotion passes through her and something seizes in her chest before everything's suddenly silent, it unnerves her. She peeks at Helena, the shorter woman's eyes are close, a slight frown lining her pretty face, "Why me?" She asks again, her voice a soft whisper, but Helena hears it even if Marian doesn't.

Helena opens her eyes, looking directly into Quinn's blue ones, _"You're easy, your desires drive you, your passion easily overpowers your brain, you're a creature of instinct, reacting rather than thinking things through. Easy but determined to pursue, like a dog when given a bone."_ The shorter woman finishes her thought-slash-statement with a smirk. "You think I'm an idiot?" Quinn says, rising from her seat, her thumb still rubbing her temple, she's squinting through the pain in her head. _"No, I simply think that  you're easy."_ Quinn advances a few steps forward, she feels insulted but intrigued, because this woman who's chained to a wall, helpless and frail, is brave enough to taunt her. "So you think I'm a woman of loose morals?" She asks in disbelief. _"No, again, I simply think that  you're easy. Now, however,  I'm starting to think that you're hard of thinking. Come closer, I won't bite."_ The last bit is a caress to her aching head, no longer forceful, the thought is gentle if a bit seductive, as expected, she moves closer to the chained woman.

Quinn stops a few inches away from Helena, her eyes pensively scanning the other woman's face for any signs of aggression. Helena merely smiles and shakes her head, gently taking Quinn's hand in her own, massaging the juncture between the index finger and the thumb _"This is how you soothe your  headaches."_ The gentle though flows into Quinn's mind without a hitch, without the debilitating pain. It's funny, Quinn thinks, it's as if Helena actually means that this is her way of soothing headaches. The shorter woman reaches up with her free hand and gently runs her thumb along Quinn's brow, _"And this, this is a way  to calm you down."_ Again, Quinn feels her eyes drifting close at the woman's touch and she finds herself leaning into it, because once again the familiarity of the touch brings the feeling of comfort and warmth and love? What? Her eyes snap open as she grabs Helena's shackled, smaller wrists, squeezing harder than intended when Helena gasps and tries to pull her hand away. "What are you doing to me?" her blue eyes steely as she asks in the same soft whisper she used earlier, _"Nothing that you don't want me to."_ Came the reply and Quinn finds herself lowering her eyes, perhaps in shame, she's not sure, nodding as her grip loosens and her thumb gently starts rubbing the inside of Helena's wrist, "Okay, okay..." Quinn pauses, chains clink as she suddenly pulls Helena closer, their bodies flush against the other, Helena looks up into Quinn's eyes, she realizes that if she were breathing, her breath would have caught at the intensity of Quinn's gaze.

The wanting hit Helena's senses like a truck, engulfing her mind as heat settles in her belly and dangerously moving lower, images of Quinn taking her in various positions, on various surfaces flash through her mind like a high-definition silent film, and oh, she catches the images of Quinn using the chains for other, better, purposes. Helena throat is dry, Quinn runs her thumb along Helena's lip as her head dips and she whispers , "I'd really like to kiss you now." Helena nods once and then Quinn is kissing her. The exchange is gentle at first, a tentative touch and a tentative taste but Quinn becomes impatient as she swipes her tongue along Helena's lips, demanding entrance, so Helena wantonly complies.

Quinn groans at the woman's taste because fuck, it was addicting, and Helena's scent is driving her insane, she pulls Helena impossibly close, deepening the kiss just as Helena nips on her bottom lip, she groans at the sensation, it sends ripples of pure desire through her spine and down to her core. She's reminded of the chains when they clink about and she wants to get creative with them and she instantly knows that she isn't the only one who wants to. But then Helena pulls away, half-lidded eyes glazed over with lust, Quinn grunts and dips her head to give Helena a quick yet intense kiss. "Hunhg." Quinn grunts again, "Indeed." Helena thinks as she leans her forehead on Quinn's shoulder, hiding a small, sad yet genuine smile.

All three women pause when they hear a loud bang coming from outside the office, Quinn could easily pick up three sets of footsteps, Calleigh's, Hector's and an unfamiliar set, one that has a noticeable limp. A heavy silence fell over the warehouse, "Everyone, listen! We know that you have doubts but we've divided them, come All Hollow's Eve we will initiate the second phase of the plan and complete the ritual and then, and then this world will be at our mercy." There's a deafening roar of approval from the crowd and then they fall silent again, "Men, women and children, have no mercy for the people in this town, spare the ones we need and want but incapacitate them. Worry not, the gathering of the other components will be swift, we have two of the sacrifices here, the virgin and the woman." There's another deafening roar of approval, at this point, Quinn stops listening, "Who's the virgin?" She asks out loud, Marian shakes her head when a thought rushes into Quinn's mind. _"Release me, please."_ She feels the fear and the building panic in the plea, she slowly turns her head towards Helena. The shorter woman looks at her with wide hazel eyes full of fear and panic and something, she knows that she can't decide right now, but that look, God, that look.

_"I can help you get your memories back."_ Another thought, this time the tone is edging on desperate, "What?" Because how does Helena know so much about her, especially about her memory loss. _"I know you can't remember anything before the ten years you've been here, I can help you get them back, you simply need to release me."_ Quinn pushes away from the shorter woman, "I'm not betraying them for a childhood that I probably don't even want to remember." Helena scowls, somehow Quinn knows that if the shorter woman had the ability to speak then she would be yelling in frustration. _"It isn't simply your childhood, it's a whole other life. Don't you want to know how I know so much about you? Or how you came about joining Magnus and his people when you absolutely hate the very idea of what they've been doing and what they're about to do?"_ Quinn rubs her forehead, the woman is confusing her, reading her thoughts and emotions somehow, she curses softly under her breath, "How the fuck do you even...?" Quinn growls in frustration, Helena is clearly getting under her skin, "I need to go." She turns and rushes to the exit and then Helena's last thought stops her in her tracks, _"You loved me."_ The thought is laced with the flashes of emotion that she'd felt earlier, it's soft, sad, desperate whisper in her mind and it makes something seize in her chest, fuck, how is she feeling so much with just one statement from a woman she barely even knows? She growls in frustration, fuck this, she thinks. "Fuck that." She mutters out loud, she feels like her heart is in a vice and she knows that Helena's silently weeping but she pushes herself to leave the office, the warehouse and finally, the docks she weaves her way through the sewers, getting away from Magnus' schemes, Hector's hero worship, Calleigh's hate and Helena.     

-

Regina waltzes into the Sherriff's station, doors automatically opening and closing for her, she stops right in front of Emma's desk, dropping a container of last night's left over strawberry shortcake on the table. Emma narrows her eyes at the container, "Is this a bribe for those parking tickets? Because I don't take bribes." The former mayor smirks as she takes a seat, crossing her legs and arching a brow, she scoffs and waves her hand at the very thought of her bribing the Sheriff, she doesn't need to bribe to get the Sheriff to act in her favor, all she needs to do is ask, this is a fact. "Perish the thought, Sheriff, this isn't the bribe." The blonde grins and hurriedly opens the container, grabbing a slice of strawberry and popping into her mouth. She leans back as her eyes close and she moans, the taste of the sweet cream blending perfectly with the strawberry's slightly sour tang.

"How's your ankle?" The brunette says suddenly, Emma catches the undertone of concern in the older woman's voice but she shrugs it off, "S'fine, bad landing, nothing serious." A shiny, silver fork appears before her, she grabs it and takes a big piece of cake and gobbles it whole, "Oh my God, this is amazing." Regina smiles smugly, because there's never any doubt that the cake was less than perfect, the brunette shifts in her seat, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs, she's all too aware that Emma has stopped chewing and is now staring at her, specifically her legs, the blonde swallows and the brunette smirks.

"Any sign of Marian?" Regina asks conversationally, her voice dropping an octave, watching Emma's reactions with half-lidded eyes as she slowly runs her hands along her lap as if to smooth away a wrinkle on her skirt. Unfortunately or Fortunately, she hasn't decided yet, seeing the Sheriff is probably the highlight of her day, Robin's too distraught to even hold a conversation and well, she needs to entertain herself, probably make the blonde's day while she's at it. Because why not, it's casual, no feelings, no attachments, right? Right, besides, she thinks, this should help her get over her fixation with the blonde, repeated exposure and all that.

"Huh?" The blonde squeaks out, Regina snaps her fingers, "Emma! Focus." Emma snaps her wide eyes up to Regina's face, "Right! Marian, well, nothing yet, David- Dad, found animal tracks yesterday, he's out there trying to make a cast of the print right now and Snow's talking to her... Bird-friends about it." The blonde finishes by shoving another piece in her mouth, Emma didn't see the point of revealing all their findings from the previous day. What is she supposed to say? 'Yesterday, we found out that your soulmate's true love could have possibly been abducted by a teleporting animal who walks on two legs.'? No, Regina has to deal with Robin's shit right now, she needn't worry about weird ass animals as well.

"And you'll tell me when you'll have a solid lead, yes?" The brunette asks needlessly, Emma just nods as she tries to lick some cream off of the corner of her mouth. Regina gets up and thinks about changing her mind and simply leaving Emma alone with her cake but... Regina gives Emma a small dark, seductive smile as she gets up and walks over to the blonde, "Can you be more of a child, Sheriff?" The brunette drawls out in her throaty whisper. Emma stops trying to reach the cream as Regina turns her chair and half straddles her lap. The brunette dips her head before delicately licking the smidgen of cream from the corner of the Sheriff's mouth, moaning as she straightens, "You're right, it is amazing."

Emma's eyes are darker than normal and her breathing's become quick and shallow, she licks her lips and fights the urge to lean up and kiss the woman senseless. No, that's against the rules. So Emma trails soft kisses along Regina's jaw as she wraps her arms around the brunette's hips, pulling Regina down fully onto her lap. She hears Regina chuckle and then she feels the brunette's fingers threading through her hair, guiding her head lower. Emma nips at the exposed pulse point and the brunette tips her head back further as the blonde continues to nip, suck and lick along the exposed column.

Emma's arm pulls back slightly, her hand caressing the brunette through her clothes as it moves back. The blonde's nails rake along the brunette's thigh, ruining the brunette's expensive stockings while making the brunette moan, the same hand moves to the inside of the former mayor's thigh making the brunette push her hips forward to hasten the blonde's movements. The Sheriff shakes her head as she continues her assault on the brunette's throat as well as her hand's slow crawl towards the brunette's core. Regina growls softly tugging Emma's head back, the blonde smiles up at her, "Don't move your hands." The brunette pauses and considers the statement the sounds more like a command than anything else, breathing heavily from the want and the anticipation, she nods and lets Emma have control because something in her craves this, even though in the back of her mind she knows that she's somehow punishing them both because nothing could ever come from this.

Emma slowly lets go of Regina, her hands move to the brunette's shirt, she slowly, deliberately undoes button after button and Regina shivers when Emma's hands make contact with her skin, making goosebumps rise from the skin of the brunette's covered arms. Emma pulls the brunette's shirt from her skirt, she finishes unbuttoning the shirt and pushes Regina's shirt and coat off of her shoulders. The blonde pauses as she takes in the sight before her, Regina, wearing only her black, lacy strapless bra with her skirt hiked up almost to her hips, "Gorgeous." Emma breathes out before snaking her hand around Regina's body, undoing the brunette's bra before wrapping her arm fully around the brunette's waist.

She frees the brunette's breasts from their trappings and she dips her head to take one hardened nub into her mouth, above her, the brunette moans, she releases one nub and nips her way to its twin, she gives it an initial lick and then Regina's pushes her head closer with one hand, she wonders briefly where the other one went, she then hears the doors locking and the blinds dropping and snapping shut. She smiles against Regina's breast when the brunette arches her back and lets out a long whine, both of the brunette's hands now grip her hair.

Emma runs her freehand along Regina's inner thigh making the brunette whimper, she hears a soft, throaty "Please, Emma." She can feel Regina's heat and the gentle rocking motion the brunette's hips are making. She withdraws her hand and she latches on to the juncture between Regina's throat and shoulder as she stands, the smaller woman cries out and automatically wraps her legs around the Sheriff. Emma turns and gently lowers Regina on the desk, clearing the middle of the table and hurriedly dropping the container in a drawer, the brunette smirks, somehow looking amused but very turned-on at the same time.

The Sheriff simply shrugs before she starts kneading one exposed breast and  suckling the other. The brunette arches up again, giving her more access but she moves lower, she hears the brunette's breath hitch and then the brunette moans when she tugs the brunette so she's sitting at the edge of the desk. Emma kneels in front of Regina, looking up at her with half-lidded eyes as she tugs the brunette's thong away from her center, thoughts about unrequited love race through her head but she quickly shuts them down, right now, she really didn't need her feelings clawing their way out of her heart.

Emma breaks eye contact when she feels Regina's hands caress both sides of her face, she dips her head and inhales the brunette's scent. Her brain completely shuts down as she tastes the brunette once, twice and she loses count as the brunette cries out her name and tugs her head closer, wrapping those delicious legs around her back, effectively locking her in place.  

She tastes Regina with the flat of her tongue, going from the bottom up in a constant pace. Regina moans and groans and bucks and rolls her hips, whispering Emma's name over and over, like a prayer. The Sheriff slows her pace, this time dipping her tongue inside Regina's entrance everytime she makes the bottom-up motion, "Emma, inside, please, God." Regina commands, she complies as she pushes her tongue inside the brunette and Regina cries out, arching her back while clinging to Emma's hair for purchase, "Fuck me, dammit." Emma hears her groan out, so Emma takes the brunette's smooth nub into her mouth and without warning she pushes two fingers passed Regina's entrance, curling them once they're fully inside.

Regina loses her rhythm then, she leans back, her arms supporting her weight as she rolls her hips, taking Emma deeper into her. The blonde's nails rake along her sides and her arms give way, she reaches towards the sheriff's head and pulls the woman closer, "Oh God, faster, Emma." She moans and tries to force a faster pace but the blonde's pace remains maddeningly slow but deliberate. She's about to actually beg and then Emma's fingers scrape against her spot, she cries out as her hips roll by their own volition and again the blonde's fingers apply friction on the same spot, her eyes roll back into her skull and again Emma hits her spot and she's a mess, cursing and begging and crying out Emma's name. She feels Emma's mouth sucking and at the same time licking her clit and Emma's fingers are hitting that one spot and then she comes, she's screams Emma's name, there are lights dancing in the back of her eyelids and she thinks that she probably strained her back muscles too much because she couldn't possibly be that flexible to arch up at that angle but God help her she wants more.

She feels Emma shift and stand while still inside her as she finds the energy to push herself up and cling to Emma, contracting her inner muscles and rolling her hips, "More." She purrs out as she tugs Emma's sweater off. Emma runs two fingers along her oversensitive nub before pushing back in and Regina locks her legs around Emma's hips, rolling her hips to meet Emma's thrusts, the blonde finds the spot with no problem and suddenly she's clawing at Emma's back, not caring if she drew blood.

She revels on the skin-on-skin contact and the way Emma's arm holds her close, not restricting her movements just... Keeping her close. She feels the familiar heat building in her stomach and she pulls the blonde closer but the blonde shifts and now their foreheads are touching, "Open your eyes." Emma rasps out and she obeys without hesitation. They make eye contact and it's so intense that it should be uncomfortable but it wasn't, she feels safe and she sees something in Emma's eyes that makes her want to kiss Emma and tell her things that are meant for Robin but she fights it with everything she has instead, she grips the blonde's shoulders leaving crescent shaped indentations in the blonde's skin. "I want to see you come." Emma murmurs as her fingers curl again and Regina comes, her fingernails raking along the blonde's shoulders and arms but the blonde doesn't stop until she comes again, her eyes once again roll back as she cries out the blonde's name over and over.

They stay that way for a time, with Emma still inside Regina while her free hand ran soothing patterns along the brunette's back and Regina slumped against Emma, too exhausted to move or think or speak. Emma finds herself loving the feeling of having Regina slumped against her, they simply fit together and the blonde finds herself wishing that they could have more than this, more than the physical and magical connection, she tightens her arm around Regina because she isn't ready to let the moment go, to let the brunette go, not yet, probably not ever. Then her mobile rings, Regina grunts and she lets it go to voicemail, there's a moment of blissful silence before the station's phone rings, "Must be important." She mutters into Regina's hair, "Don't care, must be another idiot animal stuck in tree." The brunette mumbles against her shoulder.

Emma sighs and slowly pulls out of Regina to pick-up the phone, the brunette groans at the sensation, she suddenly feels empty and devoid of Emma and it doesn't feel good, just like the first time and she had let Emma stay because she couldn't fathom letting the blonde go that night, she had reasoned that the hour was late and that staying was the responsible thing to do, in the morning she had written it up as the effects of post-coital bliss and had scoffed at herself for having feelings. "What the hell do you mean?" She hears Emma almost yell into the receiver, she slides herself off of the desk, she grips the edge for a moment, her legs are still shakey after all. A moment later she starts picking her clothing from off of the floor, thankfully Emma had sense enough to keep her thong on the desk, "Son of a bitch, okay, I'm on my way. No, no, I'll tell her myself. Meet me at the diner."

"What was that about?" The brunette asks as she buttons her shirt, Emma simply looks at her, indecision written across her face, on one hand, Regina could take the logical route and not take Robin and the Merrymen's side, on the other hand, Regina could take her soulmate's, Emma scrunches her face at the term, side and then, well, they would have to hide Red. "Sheriff Swan." Regina says loudly, her patience obviously wearing thin, Emma sighs and gives in, better that she find out now than later."Dad's done the plaster cast," The brunette slips into her shoes and waits, "It was a paw print of a big dog, possibly a wolf, they think it's Red." Regina pauses, her eyes narrow and her lips purse and Emma stands their fidgeting. Regina walks off suddenly, her heels clicking on the floor as Emma's shoulders slump in defeat because she shouldn't have expected Regina to- "Come along Sheriff, we have a lynch mob to stop." Oh, well, wow, the blonde thinks before she straightens, her eyes instantly bright as she jogs after Regina.

-tbc-                     


	11. Playthings Have Feelings Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand another very late update ^_^ Feel free to R and R please.

"Get off of my property or I will shoot you dead where you stand!" Granny yells to the crowd, her crossbow trained to the crowd. She's lost Red's mother, she isn't about to let her granddaughter fall into the hands of the angry mob. "She's taken Marian!" Comes a yell, "She's killed before!" Comes another, a short silence follows and then a loud "Yeah!" Comes from someone in the crowd. More angry shouts come from the mob, the one that instigates it isn't even an accusation, clearly they've run out of things to say. Ruby hides in the diner, her sensitive hearing picking up the buzz of the crowd, she can't even specify the words now, just one loud angry buzz, like static. She stays in the back room, not wanting to do anything rash, not wanting to let the wolf out even as it clawed at her insides to be let out, to defend its territory. This frightens her, her wolf is suddenly insistent and is actively trying to wrestle control of her body, what the hell was going on? The tall brunette covers her ears as she backs away from the flimsy door, her back hits the very back wall and she slides down to the floor.

The static grows louder and she presses her hands to her ears harder but the harder she tries to block it out the louder it gets. She screams for it to stop, pressing her hands to her ears as hard as she can, her eyes squeezing shut as she fights to block out the static noise as well as the fear and the hurt and the anger and the wolf. And then everything stops, she hears a man shout, crisp and clear, "I'll run you through if I have to!" Granny's yelp follows. And at that moment, the wolf in her roars in rage, she takes off like shot from her corner, running through the storage closet door and through the small diner, the last thing she feels before she completely blacks out is a long and terrifying howl bubbling from her chest.

\--

"Really?" Emma says as they reach the mob at the end of the diner, "I mean, seriously, was it like this back in the Enchanted Forest?" Regina simply snorts in an unlady-like fashion, "You have no idea." The brunette mutters under her breath. Emma parks the bug nearby and checks her gun, Regina arches her brow and scoffs, "What? They have weapons." Emma tries to explain while gesturing towards the crude weapons being carried by the mob, the brunette scoffs again, "Yes, of course, they have pitchforks and torches, and possibly bows, great weapons of mass destruction." With that, the brunette steps out of the vehicle and strides toward the mob with Emma scrambling to catch up to her, just in case someone really does try to stab Regina with a pitchfork.

They near the edge of the mob before they hear the howl. The Diner's door seems like it literally explodes from the impact, scattering shattered glass and splintered wood everywhere, the werewolf howls again before charging the crowd, Regina tosses a fireball, missing the beast by a few inches but catching its attention. "Crap." The former mayor says as the beast snaps it's head to face its assailant, Regina casts another fireball just as the beast charges towards her but Emma, ever the hero, envelopes Regina in a hug, twisting their bodies so Emma's taller frame completely covers Regina's smaller one. The werewolf closes in at an alarming speed and Emma tightens her hold on Regina, her eyes squeezed shut as she braces herself for a tackle? A bite? A swift decapitation? She isn't sure but she's sure that the blow never comes and there's a  very loud thud to her right.

They slowly straighten themselves, mouths slightly agape at the sight of Quinn desperately trying to restrain the werewolf by pinning it to the now ruined brick wall. "Don't just stand there witch! Help me!" The vampire yells, it takes a second too long for Regina to shake herself from her shock  and magically restrain the wolf. The werewolf bucks, throwing the vampire slightly off balance, taking advantage of that opening the werewolf clamps its teeth down the vampire's arm. Quinn grunts in pain, her other arm automatically gripping the werewolf's jugular, her nails digging into the skin around the wolf's neck forcing the werewolf to release her tattered arm. She pulls back quickly cradling her injured arm as she helplessly watches the bipedal werewolf as it lets out a feral bark before sprinting away from the chaos. Quinn clenches her jaw when the burning in her arm starts, she steals glances at the mob, the old woman and the two younger women as they watch her.

She can probably take them all down with only one arm but she remembers the fire-wielding brunette and well, she has to admit that she feels a small sliver of fear run up her spine every time she encounters the brunette and the feeling distracts her. So she takes off, the same direction as the wolf, she needs to get back to the warehouse, it seems that whatever her little family is doing, she doesn't think that the intention was to fuck with the natural order of things and judging from the shock in the faces of the people from earlier, it's already begun by turning a perfectly normal thing into an anomaly, she makes up her and decides that she needs to go see Helena.

 

\--

Emma and Regina watch the vampire take off after the werewolf at full speed, they remain silent until Emma reaches for Regina, her hand resting on the small of the brunette's back. it's the blonde's version of a body check, Regina realizes and she moves away from Emma. "What the hell was that?" The brunette hisses at the blonde, Emma looks confused, what the hell was what? "What the hell was what?" Her brows furrowing as she voices out her thoughts. Regina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, "You put your life on the line, again, to play hero, again, you idiot." The brunette hisses out as Emma moves closer, "Job description, just in case you missed the memo." Was Emma's soft whisper and Regina wanted to shove the blonde away, her care, her concern, her selflessness it's all so stifling and Regina wants it, she wants it all because after feeling the sudden spike of fear at the thought of the beast tearing into Emma, she's big enough to admit that she may care for Emma, more than what their arrangement dictates but she isn't ready to admit that, so once again she invokes her safest argument, "Henry can't lose us both, think about that before you do anything stupid." The half-truth comes out with more force than intended, in fact, her voice shakes with the force behind the statement still, Emma narrows her eyes, she knows that Emma doesn't really believe her but the blonde nods and mumbles an apology.

Emma tentatively touches the brunette's arm and Regina's posture sags ever so slightly, as if she's finally relaxing after the ordeal, so Emma rubs the brunette's arms, the brunette sags a bit more, it makes Emma want to pull Regina into a hug, just to reassure herself that yes, she got there in time, yes, Regina is still there and physically okay. But she doesn't because they have rules and if she wants to keep late night visiting privileges she won't take things further than what Regina allows, fuck, she thinks, she's fucking hopeless. Emma can feel the Regina's body heat from their proximity and Regina looks up and looks into her eyes and God, she wants to kiss her so badly that it hurts.

"See?! Your granddaughter was the monster who took Marian!"

"You were protecting the monster!"

"Get the old woman!"

Regina pushes away from Emma and sends a light post flying and crashing between Granny and the mob, "Enough! You sniveling little cretins!" The mob halts and stills, no one dare speak. "You've no evidence that Ruby was behind Marian's disappearance, go home or I will have the sheriff detain you indefinitely." Regina says, her voice, her walk and her posture scream authority, Emma tries her best to look official and not thug-ish because that's exactly how she feels when Regina pulls her rank, still she follows behind Regina. "How do we not know it's not a conspiracy? That you didn't have Marian taken just to have Robin all to yourself?" Regina scowls as she stops in front of the mob, "I will not ask again, go. Home." The brunette says, her tone low and cold yet commanding, no, demanding obedience. The mob slowly disperse as they slowly remember who it is that they're facing, the old woman and the wolf, no problem, the evil queen, well, you don't go up against someone who can flay you alive at will.

As the last of the mob finally leave Granny finally relaxes and walks down the diner steps, broken glass crunching under her feet, "Thank you, your majesty." Regina nods regally, because one doesn't just drop the air of authority. "We'll uh, talk inside." Emma says as she secures the strap of the holster on her weapon, she takes in her surroundings, broken wood, shattered glass, horizontal lightpost, the diner's broken front, "Paper work's going to be a bitch." The blonde mumbles, the brunette simply smirks as she walks passed the blonde and into the diner.

\--

Quinn sneaks back into the warehouse, fully aware that they can smell the blood dripping from her injury so she moves as quietly and as quickly as she can. She quietly opens the door to the office and as soon as the door closes she sags against it, her blood loss taking its toll on her body, her senses are dulled, she's basically deaf and almost blind, her speed and strength diminished, fuck werewolves and their poison, she thinks. And then she looks up, Helena is surrounded by Hector's lackeys groping and touching, even with her senses shot, she can smell their desire, she sees red, her vision dims and she ignores her blood loss.

She moves fast, faster than she should considering the blood loss, she knows she shouldn't be pushing herself, her senses are dulled for a reason but they were touching something that is hers and hers alone. She's on them before they can shift to their wolf forms. She breaks someone's neck, kicks and busts someone's kneecap, she takes a bite on the shoulder but she fractures that lackey's spine and finally, finally she reaches Hector's favorite lackey, Hector's Lieutenant, Maxie something, she doesn't remember and she doesn't care, she knows that there's no going back from this, once she kills him, all her ties to her little family will be severed because she'll be breaking one of the top rules, don't kill the Lieutenants, they're older, smarter and hard to replace and this was Hector's favorite lover.

He snarls, completely in wolf form, she hisses, he attacks and she's caught off guard, the swipe of the claw cuts into her abdomen and she loses her balance, she should really work on that balance thing, she thinks. She rolls away as he pounces and tries to pin her, she tries a kick to the face but he's smarter than that, Hector is right, Maxie whatshisface is a very defensive fighter, she realizes this when instead of hitting his face, he grabs her foot and pulls her off balance, again, Jesus, she's seriously going to work on her balance if she survives this, he shoulder tackles her to the ground and pins her with his weight, effectively trapping her.

He claws at her over and over, her good arm holding his muzzle away from her face via his jugular, she doesn't have enough strength or purchase to rip it off or snap it, her bad arm is positioned over her face and neck and is taking the brunt of the damage, she's fucked, she knows it but still she tries, she gets a chance to block one blow and she takes it, she blocks and in a split second she surges her hand forward driving it into his chest, damage done. He jumps back, shock, pain and fear clearly shining in his yellow eyes. Maxie somethingortheother snarls and rushes her, he lowers his shoulder to attempt another tackle but he telegraphs his move and she sidesteps and lands an axe kick on his spine, he drops face first on the floor, losing the transformation after taking so much damage, "B-Bitch." He sputters, spitting blood and saliva on the dusty floor boards. She yanks his head back and makes him look at Helena, "Mine." She says before she breaks his spine and rips off his throat, for good measure and all that.

Helena blinks at her, she blinks back before rushing towards Helena and giving her a short, bruising kiss. She breaks the kiss and silently unlocks the shackles for both Helena and Marian and motions for them to keep low and be quiet, leading them down the walkway. They don't make it far, the rest of the lackeys are there, fully transformed and Hector, well, Hector is there, looking very, very angry. "Shite." Quinn mutters under her breath, "Jump." She says to Helena while picking Marian up and jumping after Helena. They jump off another walkway and they sprint through the warehouse with Hector and friends at their heels. "Manhole!" Quinn yells, still carrying Marian bridal style, Helena makes her way but a few feet from the manhole she skids to a halt, Calleigh stands between them and the manhole, Helena thinks fast and well, off the top of her head the only thing she can think of is to drop kick the platinum blonde and so she unexpectedly drop kicks Calleigh out of the way and she waits for Quinn to jump in before jumping in after her. She pricks her finger and touches the drop of blood on the cover before following Quinn, she repeats the same process at the exit and they run off into the night, hopefully to somewhere safe, Quinn slows down, still carrying Marian allowing Helena to takes point. From time to time she looks behind her checking on Quinn, the raven haired vampire simply waves off her concern so she walks on, leading them to the safest and most powerful trail of magic, 108 Mifflin Street.           

\--

"Ugh, Emma, right there, don't stop, oh God,  I'm going to-!" Regina rakes her nails down Emma's back as she bites down on Emma's shoulder to muffle her scream but Emma doesn't stop until Regina comes again and again and again and Emma's almost there, just a little more. Regina clings to Emma, finger nails digging into Emma's shoulders as Emma moves faster, she's going to come again, she pulls herself impossibly close to Emma, legs wrapping tighter around Emma's hips using it as leverage to meet Emma's thrusts, "Regina, fuck, 'm cumming, fuck." Emma presses Regina against the wall as she gives it a few more thrusts and then she cums inside Regina and the brunette lets out a keening moan, her eyes roll in the back of her head as she comes harder than her earlier orgasms, her nails digging harder against Emma's skin. "Hmng." Emma says, still pressing Regina against the wall, "Love that spell." Regina grunts in agreement. This is their thing, this is Regina's version of a body check, the reassurance she's been needing since earlier that Emma is here, that she's okay. It's far from romantic, they're rutting like animals on her wall, in her hallway but God she needs to feel this, feel Emma pounding into her, she doesn't even care that she forced a spell onto Emma, well, not like the blonde cares after getting over the initial shock of it, that is.

They stay there for a while, neither willing to move, both weak in the knees and then the doorbell rings, followed by quick, loud knocks that almost the shakes the door in its hinges. They groan simultaneously, Regina's hands move from the blonde's back to the blonde's shoulder, gently giving Emma a push. Emma complies and pulls out of Regina, the spell hadn't worn off, "What about this?" Emma whines gesturing to her crotch, "Take care of it for a bit, I won't take long." Emma whines, she's going to be up and ready to go in a few minutes, "You better not." Emma says, pouting while making her way to the bedroom, knees still weak.

Regina makes her way down the stairs, buttoning her blouse and tugging on her skirt, her legs are still shaky and her hair's still tousled, she doesn't mind, no one will ask, it's three am and she's the evil queen. She looks through the peephole at the off chance that it's some psycho wanting to come inside and murder her and her family, and Emma, Emma isn't part of her family, yet, her mind says, she scowls at her thoughts, be quiet, she tells her mind. She sees Helena's panic stricken face, teeth worrying her lower lip and for some reason the girl keeps looking behind her, she knocks again, hands moving everywhere, resting on her hips and then she brings one hand up to touch her forehead and then back to her hips.

Emma quietly creeps up behind Regina, "What are you looking at?" She whispers when she's close enough that the brunette can feel her breath on her ear. Regina jumps, barely stifling the yelp, she turns and smacks Emma on her forearm "Idiot! Don't do that!" She hisses quietly, "The undead are outside." Emma chuckles then stops and blinks, face scrunching up in confusion "What?" the blonde asks, Regina huffs in response, and opens the door, leaving the flimsy chain connecting the door to the frame, "Help us, I'm bleeding to death and we have your friend, we had to knock her out, she was too loud." The brunette looks down and gasps, lying there on her porch, bleeding profusely is the vampire that saved them earlier, "She- Stop speaking in my head!" Quinn tries to yell out weakly, "Let us in, we won't hurt you, you're the only one she trusts." Regina looks from Quinn to Helena, Helena gives her a pleading look and she sees fear, so much fear.

She doesn't know what possesses her but she hurriedly unlocks the door, Emma tries to cover the growing bulge in her crotch but the vampires don't seem to mind as Helena helps Quinn inside, a second later Helena carries an unconscious Marian to the couch. Before either can speak Helena hands them a note, her handwriting shaky but still clear.  _"Blood packs, please, now."_  Regina looks at Emma and Emma sighs, "I'll go get dressed and muscle some from Whale." Regina gives her a small smile and leans up to kiss the corner of her mouth, Emma clears her throat and runs up the stairs before anyone can notice the slight blush blooming on her cheeks. A moment later, she's dressed and ready to go, albeit with baggie pants. "Emma." The blonde pauses her hand clutching the door knob. "No heroics." Regina says, her tone more concerned that anything else. Her back is turned but her face is turned slightly to the side so that Emma sees her profile and so that Emma can't see her face or her eyes or anything that can give away her worry, the blonde nods and hurries out of the door, a moment later Regina hears the bug's engine sputtering to life and driving away, she find herself praying to whatever gods that are listening that Emma would make it back to her... Her house, not her, she sighs and gives up on her thoughts for the moment to focus on the dying vampire who is currently bleeding all over her best couch, the vampire's  panicking mate who is constantly running her hand along the dying vampire's face and neck, constantly checking on the makeshift bandages on the vampires face and arms and a passed out Marian who is currently giving her no problems at all, she chuckles darkly at the irony of the thought.

\--

Helena looks up and out the window, she quickly jots down "Sunrise." and hands the note to Regina who stares at it before muttering a soft "Oh." and send the vampires to the basement, Marian had come to earlier and is now holding an ice pack to her jaw, whoever slugged Marian on the jaw, Regina thinks, is going to be her favorite bloodsucker. Emma knocks a few moments later, arms straining against the weight of the cooler. "Dare I ask?" Regina says, brow arched as she closes the door, Henry wouldn't be back 'til this afternoon and for that she is eternally grateful that he isn't here to see this... Insanity. "Whale takes cash." Regina smirks and directs Emma towards the basement and when she's out of earshot, Marian speaks up, "When is my husband coming?" Regina pours herself a cup of coffee, "Coffee?" She asks instead of answering a question she isn't sure how she'd answer. "No, thank you. When is he coming?" Regina takes a sip from her mug, stalling isn't doing her any good, she checks the time and she looks at Marian and then looks at her coffee. "Regina, answer me." Regina sighs and moves to where Marian is seated, "May I?" She asks, her eyes looking at the angry, purple bruising on the woman's jaw, Marian nods and Regina gently touches the bruise, healing it completely. "He arrives around seven to eight in the morning, usually with Roland, they have breakfast and then they leave at around ten." Marian hands her the ice pack and she puts it in the sink, "Since when?" Regina retrieves her mug and takes another sip, "Since before you came back, he was to be my soulmate even before he met you." There's a short pregnant pause, "Have you... Consummated?" Regina shakes her head, she would have but then Emma came and scratched that itch for her, now she can bide her time. "Why not?" Marian asks, Regina looks at Marian for a moment and gently lowers her mug on the counter top "That's none of your business." Marian frowns a bit at this, shifting in her seat, "It's become my business since you've made it your business to try and  steal my husband." Regina's lips form a thin line, she isn't simply trying, in fact, she's succeeding but she has to admit that the woman makes a good point.

Fortunately, Marian abandons that train of questioning and moves forward, "Is he in love with you? Are you in love with him? or are you only doing this because you think it's fate?" Regina blows at her coffee, cooling the now warm liquid further, she's stalling again and Marian knows this, "I don't know how he feels about me but I can't say that I'm in love with him, I can tell that I can very easily love him. And no, I'm not simply doing this because I think it's fate or because it's fairy dust or because someone lost something very precious by giving this to me. I'm doing this because it's my chance at a happy ending, a real happy ending, my happily ever after, I think I deserve a shot at one."

 Marian shakes her head sadly at this, "But you're stealing mine, Regina... Please... Don't." The woman says quietly, her voice cracking softly near the end and Regina had no response to that, she's been trying to change, trying to do what's good and what's right and here she is stealing someone else's happy ending. "I'm sorry but I still want what's rightfully mine." Regina says with finality, she will pity the woman but that's it, she will not willingly give up just because some peasant begged her to. Is she still evil? No, but she can still be a selfish bitch because she wants that chance and she feels as if it's her last chance and she will not let it go. The doorbell chimes and Regina straightens, Marian wipes the tears from her eyes, "That should be him." Regina says as she walks towards the front door.

\--

"Wait, hey, what are you doing? I lost a month's worth of pay because of that! Don't drink it all." Emma says, her hands on her hips, trying to intimidate Helena, the vampire just glares at her and continues drinking. "Seriously-" Helena gets up, Emma steps back, her hand quickly moving towards her weapon and then Helena turns her back on Emma and starts to strip. Because why the hell not, right? Emma thinks as the spell that hadn't quite gone away makes itself known, Helena is beautiful, all soft curves and creamy skin and Emma wants to touch but she steels herself. The last bits of clothing are off and it leaves Helena completely naked in the middle of the basement and Emma has no idea what to do with herself so she fidgets. Helena gestures to the door, her face turned to the side so she can clearly see Emma in her peripheral, she maintains her glare at Emma but the glare turns into an amused smile when she sees Emma's predicament, she shakes her head and gestures to the door again, Emma couldn't have run away fast enough.

She makes it to the top landing and she skids to a halt, she hears Robin, Marian and Regina speaking in the kitchen so she makes herself presentable and walks over to the kitchen, she observes the happy reunion of Robin and Marian and little Roland squished between his parents, it's a beautiful sight. She almost smiles until she sees Regina, silently drinking coffee, stealing glances at the family with something akin to longing in her eyes, Emma realizes then that, that's how she must look like when she looks at Regina if she thinks no one is watching. She clears her throat and three sets of eyes turn to her, Roland still playing with his mum's hair, uncaring of her presence. "I have to go see someone about a thing, I'm gonna go." She says gesturing to the front door, she stands as close as possible behind a dining chair, no one but Regina notices this, "Oh? See who?" The brunette speaks up, there's an edge in her voice that Emma's unfamiliar with and that in turn puts her on edge, "Uh, um, see if I can find Ruby, maybe, you know, it's my job, sheriff and saviour and all that." Regina pins her with a glare, "No, stay for breakfast, I insist." Emma tilts her head to the side because this is a different Regina, this is weird. "No thank you, really, it's kind of you to offer but I need to go, now." Robin and Marian are now  looking at Regina, waiting for her to respond, Regina arches a brow, waits for a beat and then concedes, "Alright then, go find Ruby. I suppose I won't be setting a third place in the table tonight." Regina says pleasantly but it's much too pleasant for Emma's taste  the blonde bites her lower lip because she knows exactly what that means and because dammit, Regina shouldn't have this much power over her, fuck her life. "Shame, I made your favorites too."

Robin and Marian awkwardly shift in their place, there's a short pause before Emma decides that relieving this pressure in or on, she didn't really give a shit right now, someone else isn't worth it. "Alright, well, since you put it that way, I'll stay for a bite or two." Again Robin and Marian shift their gaze to Regina and the brunette's pleasant smile never falters, "Good choice, Sheriff." And apparently, the edge in her voice isn't faltering too. She's in trouble, Emma thinks, big trouble, she decides as she shuffles over to a barstool.

\--

_"Quinn."_   The woman  in question doesn't stir, the only indication that Helena has that the taller vampire lives is that she hasn't turned into ash but she sees it, the slight graying of the extremities, Quinn isn't dead but she's very much dying. She sighs sadly, she will not give up, she needs Quinn, the old Quinn or this new Quinn, she doesn't care anymore she just needs her to be alive and well. So she mounts the taller vampire and she cuts her wrist, right where the pulse is supposed to be and she holds it above Quinn's mouth, sending a few drops directly onto her lips. Quinn stirs, her eyes rolling about behind closed lids, Helena makes another cut as the one on her wrist heals, this time on her solar plexus, Quinn groans in pain but attempts to reach the cut, her body running purely on instinct and searching for the next food source. Helena kneels as she pulls Quinn towards the cut, stroking her long, black hair that's currently matted with dried blood, it works and Quinn starts to suck but the cut is shallow and soon, Helena allows it to heal. She bites her lower lip as she makes another incision, this time slightly below her collarbone. She lowers herself to help Quinn reach the cut but this time the taller vampire doesn't simply latch on, she laps up the trail of dripping crimson, from the cleavage to the cut and Helena starts losing concentration, she's starting to feel very, very good and that's very, very bad, she needs to stay in control so Quinn doesn't kill her while feeding to heal.

She lets Quinn stay on the cut for more than a minute, her hand keeping Quinn's head pressed onto the cut and her other hand starts to roam, moving along Quinn's back, touching her through the material of the white tank-top. Quinn  makes an effort to wrap her arms around Helena's waist and hips, tugging her lower and when she's fully sitting on Quinn's lap, the taller vampire bites down on the side of her neck, there's a slight sting because of the sudden intrusion and then she almost lets her mind go blank because pleasure shoots up her spine, making her mind fog up just a bit. She tilts her head back, giving Quinn full access, her hands pulling Quinn's head as close as physically possible.

Quinn feels a bit more of her strength returning so she lets her hands roam, one crawls up Helena's back and the other moves to Helena's front, brushing a thumb along the woman's ribcage and then brushing the underside of her breasts. Helena gasps but she feels weak, almost wanton and she recognizes it and she's certain that it's not from blood loss, she bites her lower lip as Quinn palms one breast and as Quinn lightly runs a thumb along her sensitive nipple her eyes drift shut.

Quinn continues to feed, flicking her tongue at the puncture wounds from time to time making Helena gasp. She moves her hand lower, brushing against Helena's toned stomach and finally resting on Helena's pubis, she doesn't move. Helena wonders if it's her way of asking if it's alright, her way of making sure that Helena wants this and that she's ready. "Please." Helena communicates gently, if she's able to voice it, that one word will sound needy and wanting but right now, all Helena can do is think it to Quinn and apparently, that's all that Quinn needs because she feels those fingers probing her sex. She's wet and wanting and she knows that Quinn can smell it and that Quinn loves it, if Quinn's tightening hold on her is any indication.

She bucks and tightens her grip on Quinn's hair as the taller vampire teases her button and starts to gently rub her slit, she finds herself wishing that she can voice out her moans and groans and that she can tell Quinn to go inside because the teasing is driving her absolutely insane but Quinn somehow catches that thought because she can feel Quinn easing herself inside and she starts to shake from all that lust and wanting, so she meets Quinn halfway on the next thrust and something inside her almost gives way.

_"More."_ She commands gently and Quinn complies, the feeding is slower, like Quinn doesn't want to let go, doesn't want this to stop. She feels Quinn add another finger and she pauses as she lets Quinn ease herself inside, it's so, so gentle and so, so slow that she finds herself rolling her hips, meeting Quinn halfway again and then something inside her breaks, she tenses at the sudden pain and Quinn holds her close, neither of them moving. Quinn nuzzles her neck, the feeding slowing to almost nothing, _"Are you alright?"_ It's Quinn's voice in her head and if Quinn can talk to her telepathically then Quinn is well enough so she can stop the feeding but she doesn't because she refuses to sever the connection and Quinn seems to refuse to let go as well.

Helena relaxes herself enough to make another attempt at taking Quinn deeper, she rolls her hips again and Quinn responds instantly by gently pumping in and out of Helena's sex, curling her fingers and finding the ridged spot inside. Helena moans, actually moans and then she groans as she starts to meet Quinn halfway in earnest, urging Quinn to go faster, taking Quinn deeper and harder and then Quinn rests her palm on Helena's button and Helena starts to move even faster, no longer rolling her hips but actually humping against Quinn's hand. She tightens around Quinn so much that Quinn can barely pull out. Helena's rhythm stutters and she flutters around Quinn's digits, squeezing them like her walls are milking them and then her body stills as pure, unadulterated pleasure runs up her spine, she arches her back, making Quinn unlatch from her neck, she screams as she bucks wildly against Quinn's hand, her fingers making long vertical scratches up Quinn's back, tearing into the tanktop's thin material but Quinn doesn't stop, she rubs her fingers against that spot again and Helena lets out a keening scream, her walls gripping her fingers like a vice. Quinn doesn't stop rubbing the spot until Helena's cum for the third time, screaming Quinn's name over and over as she digs her fingers into Quinn's back, enough to draw blood. The taller vampire shivers at the mix of pain and pleasure yet she continues on pumping in and out of Helena, helping her come down from her high. Finally, Helena slumps against Quinn, twitching every now and then.

Helena chuckles out loud a few moments after coming down, "My grandmother has an awful sense of humor." She says quietly. It's the most melodic sound that Quinn's heard in a long time so she remains quiet and just nuzzles Helena's neck, still not pulling out of Helena, "I don't understand." She says softly, after a stretch of comfortable silence. "Innocence offered, innocence lost, a shout from the peak of love's reunion breaks the silence. That's all that grandmother left with me. Apparently, the curse that took my voice can only be broken by having sex with you and well, having an orgasm after I suppose, I don't know." Helena says, her voice still raspy from years of disuse or perhaps from all her screaming, she doesn't really care. "Mm, sounds like a fucked up haiku. Why me?" Quinn mutters as she kisses her way up to Helena's lips, kissing her lightly. Helena simply shrugs at the question, opting to remain silent about that particular query.

"You think they heard us?" Quinn asks after a beat. Helena shakes her head and then she moans and rolls her hips because Quinn is teasing her button again, "The easiest..." She pants as Quinn gently thrusts deeper inside her, "The easiest spell to..." Quinn finds the spot again and rubs the pads of her fingers along the ridges. "I soundproofed the room." Helena says quickly, unable to form any more coherent thoughts as she feels herself building up to her peak, Quinn grins and mutters something like "Naughty girl." and that's the last thing she hears as she crashes from her peak for the fourth but certainly not the last time today.    

\--

Breakfast is a pleasant enough affair save for the awkwardness that's hidden behind false smiles and pleasantries. It's can't be over fast enough and as soon as Robin, Marian and Roland walk out the door Regina rips into Emma. "A thing? With Ruby? With Ruby?!" Emma sighs, "It's not even with Ruby! I was just trying to find a way to get this," Emma gestures to her crotch, "Taken care of." Regina fights the urge to throw Emma against a wall and Force Choke the idiot out of her but that would only serve to kill Emma because being an idiot is somehow tied to her life force, perhaps she was born this way. "How many people have you been sleeping with?!" Emma fidgets because her problem isn't really going away because well, Regina's there and it's starting to hurt.

"One or two before you and I had our arrangement." Regina glares daggers at Emma and Emma wants to rage because shit, Regina has an on-going almost-relationship type thing with Robin, why couldn't she have her own thing?

Regina holds up her hand and takes a several deep, calming breaths, "Are you still sleeping with whoever this person is?" Regina's voice is calm, controlled, almost in the verge of cold and Emma doesn't like that, so she answers honestly, it's not like Regina and her are in a relationship, right? "Not since our arrangement became a nightly occurrence." The former queen closes her eyes and takes even more very deep breaths, she isn't supposed to react this way, Emma is allowed to have her dalliances with whichever peasant she wishes to have it with but she just feels so betrayed right now, she can't even think through this hazy fog of jealousy? Rage? Wanting to rip this person's head off? Emma is hers until she chooses otherwise and damn it all, she's been sleeping with only one person and that's Emma and it's just not fair, something in the back of her mind tells her that her reasoning is rather juvenile but she crushes that train of thought like she would a rebellion.

"And before that?" Emma fidgets and rubs the back of her neck, "Rarely, she would call- Dammit Regina, you can't act like a jealous girlfriend because we're not in a relationship. I'm just Graham version 2.0 I'm well aware of that, Robin is your end game, I am very well aware of that too! And it just-" She stops before she can tell Regina how she really feels, her chest tightens and she stops herself from crying out and yelling that she's right here and she will move heaven and hell for Regina but she stops because she will take what Regina is willing to offer and nothing more because she would rather have this than not have Regina at all, fuck. Her. Life. Well, at least her not so little problem finally dies down, she has that going for her which is nice, she realizes that she really needs to stop thinking in memes, perhaps even lessen her 9gag time altogether.        

Regina rubs her forehead, they can't do this right now, she thinks, they have to take care of the vampire infestation and shit, shit! She's hurting Emma and strangely, knowing that she's the reason why the blonde is so torn up is making her uncomfortable, what's more is that she wants to soothe the hurt away, to just hold Emma and kiss her and tell her that everything's going to be okay. It's so, so strange to feel this possessive and protective over Emma so, she decides to soothe the hurt with words and perhaps a little action, "Emma, you're not Graham 2.0, you never will be." The blonde scoffs but Regina moves closer, "Why? Cause you don't have my heart so you don't really have that much control over me and you can't crush it and then tell people that I had a heart attack at 28?" Emma almost chuckles at her statement because Regina already has her heart and slowly but surely Regina is crushing it and it fucking hurts.

There's a pregnant pause after that, Regina stops moving and Emma doesn't look up from where she is at the counter. Suddenly, Regina is wriggling herself between Emma and the counter, taking hold of Emma's neck and cheek, "I deserved that." The brunette whispers as her thumbs move to and fro against Emma's skin. "But no, that's not the reason why you're not Graham 2.0." Regina really wants to kiss the blonde, to the point that she has to physically restrain herself from leaning in. "Why?" Emma whispers back, her voice raspy because Regina's proximity is waking up that spell that never really went away. "Because..." Regina contemplates between being honest and completely fucking up her chance at a happy ending by acknowledging that she has feelings for Emma or telling half-truths that won't hurt anybody or flat out lie which she can't do because apparently, Emma's a human lie detector. "Because..." Her hands move on their own accord, going lower and finally resting on Emma's thighs, near her crotch, and her not so little problem decided to say hello. "I never got that reaction from him." The brunette breathes out softly as she decides on option 4 that is, deflection is key when dealing with Emma.

 Emma plants her hands on Regina's hips and pulls her closer but remains silent, "Because you willingly want me, knowing what I've done , who I was, what I was and yet you're still here, wanting me..." Regina undoes Emma's belt buckle, "Willingly surrendering to me..." The button pops open, "Willingly taking me..." And zipper slides down, "Again and again and again." Regina releases Emma from the confines of her underwear and slides down to her knees, Emma swallows and her eyes drift close, "Tell me Sherriff, who is this she that you've been... Making arrangements with?" Emma hisses as Regina tightens her grip and she finds herself unable to think of a lie or a deflection, "I'd like her name, Sherriff." Regina purrs as she slowly begins to move her hand, something in the back of brunette's mind tells her to let it go but she chases that thought away because whoever the bitch is, she should learn how to stay away from other people's lovers, especially Regina's, not that Regina considers her thing with Emma permanent, not at all. Robin is her happy ending, she reminds herself yet she still finds herself wanting to fillet the bitch more than she wants to flay Marian alive.

Emma can only groan, this feels too good and she can't even think of anyone or anything else right now other than Regina and her hand and the proximity of Regina's mouth to her not so little friend, "Tell me her name and you'll get what you want, Sherriff." Why the hell can't Regina let it go? Emma wonders as she cracks her eyes open, she sees Regina and she whimpers, "Fuck, Regina, please." Regina smiles wickedly, she keeps her hand moving slowly, teasing Emma, nothing more, well, not until the blonde tells Regina who the slattern is, "Her name, Emma." Regina almost growls out, the blonde bucks, trying to increase the friction, "It's M-"

And then Regina's landline rings, the machine picks it up and well, "Regina, Robin said Emma was there, guess you guys should know, we found Ruby, she's okay but she wants to talk to the vampire? Something about what happened at the diner. She says she wants to talk to her right now, she's being really pushy and frankly, it's kind of scary what with the yellow eyes and all, we're walking up to Regina's door now." The machine beeps signaling the end of the message.

Regina sighs and stands up, straightening her outfit giving Emma and her problematic friend one last longing glance before stepping away. Emma groans in frustration, "My dad, the cock blocker." She tries her best to hide her very frustrated friend. Regina pauses at the door, she turns to face Emma "We're not done here, Sherriff." Emma grimaces as she buckles her belt and Regina opens the door before David can knock. He nods to Regina as he crosses the threshold with Snow and Ruby in tow. They enter the kitchen and Emma quickly moves behind the counter, her smile is tight and a bit forced. "They're in the-" Regina starts and Ruby interrupts her, "Basement, I know, I can smell them." Ruby says with a bit of a purr, she then tilts her head and stares at Emma, not through Emma, no, directly at Emma and then she gives her a feral smile, "Why Emma, I had no idea you felt that way about me..." Emma audibly gulps, the intensity of the stare, the smile, the rasp of the voice, Ruby's nearly naked state, yep, this spell is killing Emma, slowly. Ruby shrugs the now speechless Snow off of her and purposely saunters towards Emma, pushing David out of the way, there's something hypnotic about this new Ruby, she's sexier, more confident, more... Everything and she wanted the blonde, at this point Emma wouldn't, no, couldn't, say no if she wanted to, what the fuck was going on?

Emma snaps out of her lust-driven daze when she hears Snow whimper, she turns her head and sees David shielding Snow and Snow pointing towards Regina, she shifts her gaze to Regina, outwardly nothing was wrong except maybe for the glowing purple eyes and the fact that Regina's possibly lost her shit which is an anomaly within itself, because Regina never loses her shit unless Henry is put in danger. "Uh, Rubes I think that maybe-" The blonde says as she tries to get Ruby to back down but the brunette raises her hand and, with a flick of her wrist, sends Ruby flying off to the side, effectively knocking her out. Snow and David rush to Ruby's side and Emma goes the opposite way because the former evil queen was stalking towards the Ruby's prone form. As the couple attend to Ruby, the blonde tries to calm Regina down, rubbing her arms before holding the brunette's scowling face between her hands, Christ, Regina's shaking, possibly in rage. "Regina, come on, look at me." She says urgently, "Regina, hey, look at me, please." Regina's scowl deepens as she glares at Ruby.

Henry skids to a halt as he takes in the sight before him, the ruined cupboards, Ruby's prone form, his grandparents' frantic looks, Emma holding onto his mom rather intimately, he blinks at that and then he calls out, "Mom?" Regina blinks her head snapping to the side, Henry is taken aback by the sheer rage in his mom's face as well as the purple glow in her eyes, "What's going on?" He asks, his voice breaking like any pubescent boy's would when panicking. Regina blinks, her eyes now back to their normal brown, and then scowls when she notices Emma's proximity, she shoves Emma back a little too harshly. It's then that she sees Ruby's prone half-naked form on the floor, she gasps as she looks at her shaking hands, she looks at Henry's tear-filled, fearful eyes and then wordlessly poofs out of the house.

"Emma...?" Henry doesn't voice out the rest of his question, fearing the worst as Emma envelopes him in a hug, kissing the side of his head and mumuring that this isn't his mom's fault, that this is no one's fault and that something is very wrong and she's going to figure out what it is before any more people get hurt, Henry nods and looks at his blonde mother, eyes pleading, "Go after mom, please. Make sure she's okay." Whatever is happening he at least trusts his blonde mother to snap his brunette mother out of her state and right now he puts all his faith in the blonde because Robin, well, he wouldn't really trust him with an ice cream run at this point.

Emma nods and gives him one last kiss before turning to his grandparents and asking them to stay with Ruby and Henry and that the undead are in the basement. The undead, what? His mom kept zombies in the basement? His grandparents nod and David leads him to his room, telling him not to come out unless he tells him too and that his moms will explain when they come back, Henry nods as he sits on his bed, wondering what was going on and wondering if his books held any clues, so he does just that, he takes out his book from under his bed and starts to scan the pages.       

\--

"Calleigh! The spell?" Hector growls as he paces, half-crazed with rage and grief, Calleigh bites back the scathing remark, she's trying but this spell is taking almost all of her essence, it's supposed to be a simple tracking spell but she just couldn't track the traitor and her bitch, it's as if something is shielding them, "It's not that simple anymore, Hector. Be patient." She says through grit teeth. "Are you this inept? We've been at this for hours, it is simple. Find Quinn, that's it, now, do it." Hector growls back as he alternates between pacing and sitting and snapping at his lackeys. "Not when I have to sacrifice my own essence to find her." At this point the people in the town should be succumbing to their basest instincts, at least for a few hours. Magnus wouldn't be happy about this, his favorite child, his purest child is being hunted down and is going to be slaughtered like a common dog, not to mention that their goal of keeping the town ignorant of their presence until it was time to attack has completely gone to shit, surely one of the witches would figure out what was going on.

"Damn it." She mutters as she stares at the town map, "What?" Hector snaps, slamming his almost claw like hands on the makeshift table in front of her, "I under estimated the virgin's strength. Perhaps someone's helping them, I'm not certain. Hector, we need to stop and focus on the plan, Magnus arrives in a day's time, we can't waste resources on this fruitless hunt for a traitor." Hector growls as he flips the table in rage, the platinum blonde takes a few steps back, calm as ever. "You need to calm down." She says, breaking her tracking spell, she's tired and grieving, she didn't really need a rabid wolf telling her what to do. "You don't know what it feels like, he was mine!" Hector growls out, he's been half-in, half-out of this state since Max died. "And Sean was mine, I know how it feels, now calm down."

Hector pauses and then whines, calming down and sitting on a crate. Calleigh is a sociopath, what does she know, she's never had a pack, she chooses to destroy everything and kill everyone, Hector takes one long look at Calleigh, she stands there in her immaculate suit and perfect hair, her arms are crossed, a small smirk gracing her lips as she looks back at him. Hector makes up his mind then, no, the bitch has to pay, Magnus isn't here to protect her. "We hunt." He grunts and his pack howls, pleased with his decision, most of them turn and run out of the warehouse to track Quinn's scent.

Calleigh closes her eyes and sighs, "Hector..." She breathes out in exasperation, Magnus should've chosen her to lead this but at that time, she couldn't even handle herself with Sean being gone. He gives her one last look before turning and running out after his pack, all that's left in the warehouse is her and a few familiars, "Well, that went well." She mutters as the darkness in the corner moves forward, moving towards her, enveloping her, "Worry not, sister. Worry not, all is falling into place." She nods and makes her way to her room, muttering questions and statements that sound like answers to questions, leaving the familiars to wonder who or what it is that she's speaking to or if she's just lost her mind, like Hector apparently did.


	12. Help Me: I panic X_X

AN: Guys, I need help, something deleted my file, chapter 12 was almost done and now I can't find it even with the search function. It shows up as a shortcut and when I click it it simply asks me if I want to delete it HAAAALP! Or should I simply rewrite ch 12? Q_Q gaddamet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please feel free to Read and Review, constructive criticism is always welcome. Enjoy.


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